Laureth-4 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer used to disperse oils, fragrance components, and oily soils into water-based formulas. It can also support emulsions and adjust foam feel in cleansers.
What does Laureth-4 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer used to disperse oils, fragrance components, and oily soils into water-based formulas. It can also support emulsions and adjust foam feel in cleansers.
Is Laureth-4 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it carries friction because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with possible trace residues such as 1,4-dioxane if purification is not well controlled. It can be more irritating than many mild surfactants, especially in leave-on or high-use-level formulas.
Is Laureth-4 sustainable?
This material is commonly based on a fatty alcohol that may come from coconut, palm, or petrochemical sources, then is modified with petrochemical-derived ethylene oxide. It is generally expected to biodegrade, but its fossil input and processing profile weaken its sustainability case.
Is Laureth-4 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the standard’s allowed chemistry. Its Green Chemistry fit is mixed, with possible renewable hydrophobe sourcing but petrochemical modification and residue-management requirements.
How does Laureth-4 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic fatty-alcohol ethoxylate with an average of about four oxyethylene units attached to a C12 hydrophobe, giving it oil-solubilizing and low-to-moderate water-dispersing behavior. It is typically used in low single-digit percentages as a solubilizer or co-surfactant, and quality depends on tight control of residual ethoxylation byproducts.
Last updated 2026-05-13