Sorbitan Laurate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and co-emulsifier that helps blend oil and water phases, especially in creams, lotions, cleansers, and dispersion systems. It can also add mild wetting and solubilizing support for lipophilic materials.
What does Sorbitan Laurate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and co-emulsifier that helps blend oil and water phases, especially in creams, lotions, cleansers, and dispersion systems. It can also add mild wetting and solubilizing support for lipophilic materials.
Is Sorbitan Laurate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well-tolerated, non-sensitizing for most users, and not a common restricted-list concern. The main diagnostic note is sourcing transparency, since the fatty-acid portion may come from coconut or palm-kernel supply chains.
Is Sorbitan Laurate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from a sugar-derived polyol and a plant-derived fatty acid, with coconut and palm-kernel sources both possible. It is expected to be readily biodegradable and has low persistence concern compared with silicone or fluorinated materials.
Is Sorbitan Laurate COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and may be used in COSMOS-organic formulations when the feedstocks and processing meet standard criteria. It aligns reasonably well with Green Chemistry because it can use renewable carbon, has good biodegradability, and is made through relatively straightforward ester chemistry.
How does Sorbitan Laurate work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic ester built from a dehydrated sugar alcohol backbone and a saturated C12 fatty-acid chain, giving it amphiphilic behavior and an HLB around 8.6. Typical use is about 0.5 to 5% depending on whether it is serving as a co-emulsifier, dispersant, or mild surfactant, and the saturated chain gives good oxidative stability while the ester bond is less stable under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13