Database/Cleansing/Sodium Deceth Sulfate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Deceth Sulfate natural?

Mostly. Decyl chain and sulfate-sodium are natural-origin; the ethylene oxide units bridging them are petrochemical.

INCI nameSodium Deceth Sulfate
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating decyl alcohol (typically coconut/palm-derived) with…

How we scored it

Decyl C10H21 (from decyl alcohol 158.3, natural) + SO3Na (103.0, natural) = 261.3 vs ~2.5 EO avg (110.1, petrochemical, per '1-4 mol EO' range) = 261.3/371.4 = 0.70.
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

Made by ethoxylating decyl alcohol (typically coconut/palm-derived) with 1-4 moles of ethylene oxide on average, then sulfating and neutralising with sodium. No formula was supplied, so molar mass was estimated from the description.

In plain English

Made by combining decyl alcohol (a coconut/palm-derived fatty alcohol) with a few units of ethylene oxide, then converting to a sulfate and neutralising with sodium. Used as a foaming, cleansing ingredient.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-sulfo-.omega.-decyloxy-, sodium salts (1-4 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. 2SODIUM DECETH SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SODIUM DECETH SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20DECETH%20SULFATE