Alkylbenzene Sulfonate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a strong anionic surfactant used for cleansing, foam, and oil removal in rinse-off products. It is more typical of detergents than leave-on skin care because it can be aggressive at higher use levels.
What does Alkylbenzene Sulfonate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a strong anionic surfactant used for cleansing, foam, and oil removal in rinse-off products. It is more typical of detergents than leave-on skin care because it can be aggressive at higher use levels.
Is Alkylbenzene Sulfonate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is a synthetic detergent associated with dryness and irritation potential, especially in higher-foaming or high-concentration formulas. It is commonly screened out by stricter standards that favor milder, naturally derived surfactant systems.
Is Alkylbenzene Sulfonate sustainable?
This material is usually petrochemical-derived, which weakens its renewable-sourcing profile. Modern straight-chain grades are generally biodegradable under aerobic wastewater conditions, but they can still contribute to aquatic loading before treatment.
Is Alkylbenzene Sulfonate COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not permitted in COSMOS-organic or COSMOS-natural products because it is a fully synthetic petrochemical surfactant rather than a natural-origin processed ingredient. Its Green Chemistry profile is mixed, with good detergency and biodegradability for modern grades, but nonrenewable feedstocks and sulfonation chemistry count against it.
How does Alkylbenzene Sulfonate work chemically?
The molecule is an anionic aromatic it with a hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail and a strongly water-soluble charged head group, which gives it high foam and soil-removal power. It is typically used in rinse-off cleansing systems, performs across a broad pH range, and is often blended with amphoteric or nonionic surfactants to reduce irritation and tune foam quality.
Last updated 2026-08-17