C11-15 Alketh-7 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily acts as a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, helping oil-like materials disperse into water-based formulas. It can also support emulsions and improve rinse-off texture in cleansers and shampoos.
What does C11-15 Alketh-7 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily acts as a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, helping oil-like materials disperse into water-based formulas. It can also support emulsions and improve rinse-off texture in cleansers and shampoos.
Is C11-15 Alketh-7 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because it is made using ethylene oxide chemistry, which raises scrutiny around residual ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane control. It is not usually a top skin-sensitization concern, but it often appears on restricted lists tied to ethoxylated materials.
Is C11-15 Alketh-7 sustainable?
This material is typically made from fatty alcohol feedstocks that may be petrochemical, palm-derived, or mixed, so sourcing transparency matters. It is generally more biodegradable than many silicone or fluorinated materials, but its aquatic profile depends on chain length, degree of processing, and wastewater treatment.
Is C11-15 Alketh-7 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because the manufacturing route relies on ethoxylation. From a Green Chemistry lens, the main drawbacks are non-preferred processing chemistry and impurity-management needs, even when the fatty portion comes from renewable feedstock.
How does C11-15 Alketh-7 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic amphiphile with a C11-C15 hydrophobic tail and an average of about 7 oxyethylene units, giving it water-dispersing and oil-solubilizing behavior. It is generally stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges and is used in low percentages as a solubilizer or at higher levels in rinse-off surfactant systems, with quality specifications commonly focused on residual ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.
Last updated 2026-05-13