Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Oleth-12
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Oleth-12 natural?

Mostly not. Oleyl alcohol from oleic acid is ethoxylated with 12 mol of petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI nameOleth-12
CAS9004-98-2
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockOleyl alcohol from oleochemical oleic acid, ethoxylated with…

How we scored it

Oleyl alcohol 268.48 Da (natural) + 12x ethylene oxide 528.6 Da (petrochemical) = 268.48/797.08 = 0.34
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

Oleyl alcohol from oleochemical oleic acid, ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide. Single dominant commercial route.

In plain English

An emulsifying and cleansing surfactant made from oleyl alcohol reacted with 12 units of ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-9-(Z)-octadecenyl-.omega.-hydroxy (12 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2OLETH-12. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3OLETH-12. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=OLETH-12