Database/Cleansing/Sodium Laureth-5 Carboxylate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Laureth-5 Carboxylate natural?

Mostly not. The lauryl chain is oleochemical (coconut or palm kernel) and sodium is mineral; the ethylene oxide units and the carboxymethyl group (from chloroacetate) are petrochemical.

INCI nameSodium Laureth-5 Carboxylate
CAS33939-64-9
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockLauryl alcohol from coconut or palm kernel oil…

How we scored it

C24H47NaO8 486.6 Da: lauryl-O C12H25O 185.3 (coconut or palm kernel) + Na 23.0 = 208.3 natural; 5 EO C10H20O5 220.3 + CH2COO 58.0 (from chloroacetate) = 278.3 petrochemical; 208.3 / 486.6 = 0.43.
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

Lauryl alcohol from coconut or palm kernel oil is ethoxylated with 5 mol ethylene oxide and then carboxymethylated with sodium chloroacetate. Petrochemical Ziegler lauryl alcohol is a possible variant.

In plain English

A mild cleansing and foaming ingredient made by attaching a short ethylene-oxide chain and an acetic-acid-type head group to lauryl alcohol. The fat part comes from coconut or palm kernel oil; the chain and head group come from petrochemicals.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-dodecyl-.omega.-carboxymethoxy-, sodium salts (4 mol EO average molar ratio)

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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 LAURETH-5 CARBOXYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SODIUM LAURETH-5 CARBOXYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20LAURETH-5%20CARBOXYLATE