Laureth-23 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic solubilizer and emulsifier used to help oils, fragrance components, and other lipophilic materials disperse into water-based formulas. It can also support cleansing systems as a mild secondary surfactant.
What does Laureth-23 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic solubilizer and emulsifier used to help oils, fragrance components, and other lipophilic materials disperse into water-based formulas. It can also support cleansing systems as a mild secondary surfactant.
Is Laureth-23 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because it is ethoxylated and may carry trace manufacturing residues such as 1,4-dioxane if purification is not well controlled. Skin tolerance is usually acceptable at normal use levels, although irritation can rise in leave-on formulas or higher-surfactant systems.
Is Laureth-23 sustainable?
This material is typically made from a fatty alcohol feedstock combined with petrochemical-derived ethoxylation chemistry. It is generally biodegradable, but its manufacturing route and residue-control requirements make it less aligned with lower-impact ingredient frameworks.
Is Laureth-23 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the standard’s allowed chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, it has useful performance and biodegradability, but it is weakened by petrochemical input and more intensive processing.
How does Laureth-23 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic ethoxylated fatty-alcohol ether with an average of 23 ethylene oxide units, which gives it high water solubility and a high HLB suited to oil-in-water systems. It is commonly used around 0.5% to 5% depending on the solubilization load, and formulas rely on supplier purification to control residual 1,4-dioxane and related trace impurities.
Last updated 2026-05-13