How we scored it
Isostearic acid (oleochemical branched C18) esterified with lactic acid (fermentation), sodium salt (mineral); all fragments natural.
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 esterifying oleochemical isostearic acid (derived from oleic acid) with fermentation-derived lactic acid and neutralizing with sodium. No petrochemical route is in commercial use.
In plain English
An emulsifier made from isostearic acid, a branched fatty acid from vegetable oil, combined with lactic acid and sodium. Helps blend oil and water in creams and cleansers.
Structure
sodium 2-[2-(16-methylheptadecanoyloxy)propanoyloxy]propanoate
References
- 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.
- 2Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate. PubChem CID 23662614. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3SODIUM ISOSTEAROYL LACTYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4SODIUM ISOSTEAROYL LACTYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20ISOSTEAROYL%20LACTYLATE