Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Trideceth-9
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Trideceth-9 natural?

No. Both the branched isotridecyl alcohol (from propylene oligomers) and the ethylene-oxide chain are petrochemical.

INCI nameTrideceth-9
CAS24938-91-8
FormulaC15H32O2 · 244.41 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating isotridecanol, a branched synthetic alcohol…

How we scored it

Isotridecanol C13H28O ~200 Da (petrochemical oxo-process alcohol) + 9 EO ~396 Da (petrochemical) → 0/596 = 0.0.
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 isotridecanol, a branched synthetic alcohol from propylene-derived olefins via the oxo process, with ~9 moles ethylene oxide. No natural route is used commercially.

In plain English

A synthetic surfactant made by reacting a petrochemical branched alcohol with ethylene oxide. It helps water and oil mix and helps formulas rinse away; it is not plant or animal derived.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-tridecyl-.omega.-hydroxy; Isotridecanol, ethoxylated

Natural alternatives with the same function

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Structure

2D structure of Trideceth-9

2-tridecoxyethanol

PubChem CID 38049 ↗

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. 2Trideceth-9. PubChem CID 38049. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECETH-9. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECETH-9. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECETH-9