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

Is Sodium Oleth Sulfate natural?

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

INCI nameSodium Oleth Sulfate
CAS27233-34-7
FormulaC36H70Na2O5S · 661.0 Da
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating oleyl alcohol (from vegetable oil)…

How we scored it

CosIng: oleyl C18H35 (268.5, natural) + SO3Na (103.0, natural) = 371.5 vs ~2.5 EO avg (110.1, petrochemical, per '1-4 mol EO' range) = 371.5/481.6 = 0.77. Given formula/MW (disodium, two oleyl groups) contradicts description, not used.
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 oleyl alcohol (from vegetable oil) with 1-4 moles of ethylene oxide on average, then sulfating and neutralising with sodium. The supplied formula appeared to describe a different, dimeric structure and was not used.

In plain English

Made by combining oleyl alcohol (from vegetable oil) with a few units of ethylene oxide, then converting to a sulfate and neutralising with sodium. Used as a foaming, cleansing ingredient in washes.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-sulfo-.omega.-(9-(Z)-octadecenyloxy)-, sodium salt (1-4 mol EO average molar ratio)

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Oleth Sulfate

disodium;(E)-1-[(E)-octadec-9-enoxy]octadec-9-ene;sulfate

PubChem CID 92039008 ↗

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 Oleth Sulfate. PubChem CID 92039008. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM OLETH SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM OLETH SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20OLETH%20SULFATE