Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a mild anionic surfactant used to lift oil and particulate soil, create foam, and improve rinse-off in cleansers, shampoos, body washes, and toothpaste. It often helps soften the feel of stronger anionic surfactant systems when used in blends.
What does Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a mild anionic surfactant used to lift oil and particulate soil, create foam, and improve rinse-off in cleansers, shampoos, body washes, and toothpaste. It often helps soften the feel of stronger anionic surfactant systems when used in blends.
Is Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate clean?
Clean-beauty programs generally treat it as acceptable because it is not a sulfate surfactant, has low sensitization concern, and is mainly used in rinse-off products. Eye or skin sting can still occur at higher active levels, so concentration and pairing with amphoteric or nonionic surfactants matter.
Is Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate sustainable?
This material is usually made from a C12 fatty alcohol that may be coconut, palm-kernel, or petrochemical derived, plus mineral-derived sodium chemistry and synthetic processing steps. It is generally considered readily biodegradable, with a lower persistence profile than silicone or fluorinated materials.
Is Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when feedstocks and manufacturing meet the standard’s surfactant and biodegradability requirements. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores well for efficient rinse-off performance and biodegradability, with the main caveats being synthetic reaction steps and possible palm-kernel sourcing.
How does Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate work chemically?
The molecule is a C12 amphiphile with a fatty hydrophobe and two sodium carboxylate and sulfonate-type ionic groups, which gives high water solubility and mild foaming. It is commonly used around 2 to 10% active in finished rinse-off formulas and is generally stable in mildly acidic to neutral systems, with viscosity usually built through surfactant blending rather than simple salt thickening.
Last updated 2026-05-14