Database/Cleansing/TEA-Laureth Sulfate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is TEA-Laureth Sulfate natural?

Mostly not. Lauryl and sulfate are natural, but the ethylene-oxide chain and triethanolamine counter-ion are petrochemical, roughly balancing the natural half.

INCI nameTEA-Laureth Sulfate
CAS27028-82-6
FormulaC18H41NO7S · 415.6 Da
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockThe lauryl chain comes from coconut or palm-kernel…

How we scored it

Lauryl-sulfate core natural (266.4 Da: dodecyl+ether-O+SO3H) vs 3x EO (132.2 Da) + triethanolamine (149.2 Da, petrochemical) -> 266.4/547.8=0.49. Supplied formula/IUPAC did not match a TEA-laureth-sulfate structure, so the CosIng description and a typical 3-EO chain were used instead.
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 lauryl chain comes from coconut or palm-kernel fatty alcohol and is ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide, then sulfated. The resulting sulfate is neutralised with triethanolamine, itself made from petrochemical ethylene oxide and ammonia.

In plain English

A foaming cleanser ingredient made from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol reacted with ethylene oxide, then neutralized with triethanolamine. It's used in shampoos and washes to create lather and help remove oil and dirt.

CosIng definition: Ethanol, 2,2',2''-nitrilotris-, compd. with .alpha.-sulfo-.omega.-(dodecyloxy)poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) (1:1)

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Structure

2D structure of TEA-Laureth Sulfate

2-[2-dodecoxyethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol;sulfuric acid

PubChem CID 17821849 ↗

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. 2TEA-Laureth Sulfate. PubChem CID 17821849. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TEA-LAURETH SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TEA-LAURETH SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TEA-LAURETH%20SULFATE