Database/Cleansing/Sodium Trideceth-3 Carboxylate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Trideceth-3 Carboxylate natural?

Mostly not. Tridecyl alcohol is a petrochemical oxo product, so only the sodium counter-ion is natural origin (compare Sodium Trideceth-7 Carboxylate).

INCI nameSodium Trideceth-3 Carboxylate
CAS61757-59-3
FormulaC21H41NaO6 · 412.5 Da
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockPetrochemical isotridecanol ethoxylated, carboxymethylated and neutralised with sodium…

How we scored it

Isotridecyl-O 199.4 Da (branched C13 oxo alcohol, petrochemical by site policy) + 3 EO 132.2 Da (petrochemical) + carboxymethyl CH2COO 58.0 Da (chloroacetic acid, petrochemical) + Na 23.0 Da (mineral, natural) = 412.6 Da; 23.0/412.6 = 0.06.
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

Petrochemical isotridecanol ethoxylated, carboxymethylated and neutralised with sodium hydroxide.

In plain English

A mild cleansing agent made from a fatty alcohol reacted with ethylene oxide and converted to a carboxylic acid salt. Used as a gentle foaming cleanser in washes.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(carboxymethyl)-.omega.-tridecyloxy)-, sodium salt

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Trideceth-3 Carboxylate

sodium 2-[2-[2-(2-tridecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]acetate

PubChem CID 44154231 ↗

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 Trideceth-3 Carboxylate. PubChem CID 44154231. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM TRIDECETH-3 CARBOXYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM TRIDECETH-3 CARBOXYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20TRIDECETH-3%20CARBOXYLATE