Database/Hydrotrope Surfactant/Sodium Toluenesulfonate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Toluenesulfonate natural?

Mostly. Sulfonate and sodium count as natural mineral mass; the toluene-derived aromatic ring is petrochemical.

INCI nameSodium Toluenesulfonate
CAS12068-03-0
FormulaC7H7NaO3S · 194.19 Da
FunctionHydrotrope Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by sulfonating petrochemical toluene from petroleum reforming,…

How we scored it

Toluene-derived ring+methyl C7H7 (petrochemical) 91 Da; SO3 (natural mineral) 80 Da; Na (blessed cation, natural) 23 Da; (80+23)/194 = 0.53.
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 sulfonating petrochemical toluene from petroleum reforming, then neutralising with sodium hydroxide. No significant natural-origin route exists for the toluene fragment.

In plain English

A synthetic hydrotrope used to keep cleansing formulas clear and help control viscosity in shampoos. It's produced from petroleum-derived toluene reacted with sulfur trioxide and neutralised with sodium.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Toluenesulfonate

sodium 4-methylbenzenesulfonate

PubChem CID 3720192 ↗

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 Toluenesulfonate. PubChem CID 3720192. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM TOLUENESULFONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM TOLUENESULFONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20TOLUENESULFONATE