Database/Cleansing/MEA-Lauryl Sulfate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is MEA-Lauryl Sulfate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl chain and sulfate group come from coconut/palm-kernel oleochemicals; the ethanolamine counter-ion is made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI nameMEA-Lauryl Sulfate
CAS4722-98-9
FormulaC14H33NO5S · 327.48 Da
FunctionCleansing · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockThe lauryl sulfate portion is made by sulfating…

How we scored it

Dodecyl hydrogen sulfate C12H26O4S 266 Da (natural, oleochemical lauryl+sulfate) + MEA C2H7NO 61 Da (petrochemical amine) -> 266/327 = 0.81.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

The lauryl sulfate portion is made by sulfating lauryl alcohol derived from coconut or palm kernel oil, then neutralised with monoethanolamine (MEA), which is manufactured from petrochemical ethylene oxide and ammonia.

In plain English

A cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm-kernel fatty alcohol combined with a mild acid group and neutralised with an amine. Used in shampoos and washes to help water lift away oil and dirt.

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Structure

2D structure of MEA-Lauryl Sulfate

2-aminoethanol;dodecyl hydrogen sulfate

PubChem CID 78449 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2MEA-Lauryl Sulfate. PubChem CID 78449. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MEA-LAURYL SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MEA-LAURYL SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MEA-LAURYL%20SULFATE