Database/Antistatic/Sodium Isethionate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Isethionate natural?

Mostly. Made from petrochemical ethylene oxide ring-opened by natural mineral sodium bisulfite, which supplies the sulfonate.

INCI nameSodium Isethionate
CAS1562-00-1
FormulaC2H5NaO4S · 148.12 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Cleansing
FeedstockManufactured industrially by reacting ethylene oxide with sodium…

How we scored it

HOCH2CH2SO3Na: SO3Na+H 104Da natural (from mineral sodium bisulfite); C2H4O 44Da petrochemical (ethylene oxide) → 104/148 = 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

Manufactured industrially by reacting ethylene oxide with sodium bisulfite (a mineral sulfite salt). The two-carbon backbone is petrochemical while the sulfonate-sodium portion is mineral-derived.

In plain English

The sodium salt of isethionic acid, made from ethylene oxide and a sulfite mineral salt. Used in cleansers for its mildness and antistatic effect on hair and skin.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…

 Alanine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…

 Arginine 100% natural origin

An amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…

 Asparagine 100% natural origin

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…

 Aspartic Acid 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…

 Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural origin

Collagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…

Structure

2D structure of Sodium Isethionate

sodium 2-hydroxyethanesulfonate

PubChem CID 517063 ↗

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 Isethionate. PubChem CID 517063. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM ISETHIONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM ISETHIONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20ISETHIONATE