Magnesium Oleth Sulfate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions primarily as an anionic surfactant for cleansing, foaming, and soil removal in rinse-off products. It can also support emulsification in wash formulas.
What does Magnesium Oleth Sulfate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions primarily as an anionic surfactant for cleansing, foaming, and soil removal in rinse-off products. It can also support emulsification in wash formulas.
Is Magnesium Oleth Sulfate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it carries friction because it is an ethoxylated anionic cleanser and may require controls for trace 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide residues. It can be more tolerable than some stronger cleansers, but irritation potential rises with concentration and formula context.
Is Magnesium Oleth Sulfate sustainable?
This material is usually built from a fatty alcohol feedstock that may be plant, animal, or petrochemical in origin, then chemically modified through ethoxylation and sulfation. It is expected to biodegrade more readily than persistent silicone or fluorinated materials, but supplier sourcing and aquatic-impact data matter.
Is Magnesium Oleth Sulfate COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic formulas because ethoxylated materials sit outside the standard’s allowed chemistry. Its fatty-chain feedstock can support renewable sourcing, but ethoxylation and possible trace process residues weaken its Green Chemistry fit.
How does Magnesium Oleth Sulfate work chemically?
The molecule is an anionic it ester built from an ethoxylated C18 unsaturated fatty alcohol with a divalent mineral counterion, and the ethoxy chain improves water solubility and moderates defatting. It is used mainly in rinse-off cleansing systems at low single-digit to mid-single-digit active levels, performs best in mildly acidic to neutral pH, and is commonly paired with amphoteric or nonionic surfactants for foam and mildness.
Last updated 2026-05-16