Trideceth-5 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, used to help oil and water mix and to improve cleansing, wetting, and solubilizing performance in formulas.
What does Trideceth-5 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, used to help oil and water mix and to improve cleansing, wetting, and solubilizing performance in formulas.
Is Trideceth-5 clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks often flag this material because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with trace ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane residue concerns if purification is not well controlled. It is generally low-odor and functional, but it carries more restricted-list friction than simpler plant-derived emulsifiers.
Is Trideceth-5 sustainable?
This material is synthetic and commonly relies on petrochemical-derived processing inputs, even when part of the fatty chain may come from plant or other oleochemical sources. Alcohol ethoxylate-type surfactants are often biodegradable, but sourcing and manufacturing chemistry make its sustainability profile less aligned with naturals-focused standards.
Is Trideceth-5 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, its performance can be efficient at low levels, but petrochemical processing inputs and residue-control requirements weaken its alignment.
How does Trideceth-5 work chemically?
The molecule combines a C13 hydrophobic alkyl chain with an average of five oxyethylene units, giving it nonionic surfactant behavior and an HLB in the mid-range suitable for emulsifying and solubilizing oil phases. It is generally stable across a broad pH range and is commonly used with co-surfactants or emulsifiers to tune mildness, foam, clarity, and emulsion structure.
Last updated 2026-05-13