Database/Cleansing/Sodium Tridecyl Sulfate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Tridecyl Sulfate natural?

Mostly not. Odd-numbered C13 chain indicates the synthetic branched oxo alcohol, not an oleochemical fatty alcohol; only the sulfate group is mineral-natural.

INCI nameSodium Tridecyl Sulfate
CAS3026-63-9
FormulaC13H27NaO4S · 302.41 Da
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockThe tridecyl chain is almost always the synthetic…

How we scored it

Tridecyl-O C13H27O 199.4 Da (odd-chain, oxo-process synthetic alcohol, petrochemical) + SO3Na 103.0 Da (mineral, natural) → 103/302 = 0.34.
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

The tridecyl chain is almost always the synthetic branched oxo-alcohol made from propylene oligomers, then sulfated with mineral sulfur trioxide and neutralised with sodium. No natural odd-chain fatty alcohol is produced at commercial scale.

In plain English

A foaming cleansing ingredient made by sulfating a synthetic branched alcohol. It is used in shampoos and washes to lift away oil and create lather.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Tridecyl Sulfate

sodium tridecyl sulfate

PubChem CID 23668353 ↗

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 Tridecyl Sulfate. PubChem CID 23668353. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM TRIDECYL SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM TRIDECYL SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20TRIDECYL%20SULFATE