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SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE

Last update on Apr 25, 2023

Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate is the chemical name for the sodium salt of the methyl lauric acid ester of isethionic acid. It serves as a surfactant and cleaning agent in cosmetics and personal care items. It is a very gentle cleaning agent with rich, luxurious foam and a refined after-feel. Additionally, it is very well soluble in water, making it rinsable. It is an alternative to a more widely known surfactant, sodium cocoyl isethionate. As a raw material, sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate is often available as white-to-off-white flakes or chips.

CAS Number: 156572-81-5 / 928663-45-0 / 956749-79-4Chem/IUPAC Name: Sodium;2-dodecanoyloxypropane-1-sulfonate, sodium;1-dodecanoyloxypropane-2-sulfonateEINECS/ELINCS No: 700-150-3COSING REF No: 86105

Products with SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE

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Gosurf SLI-30

by Jan Dekker

INCI: SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE | TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE | SODIUM BENZOATE | AQUA

Sustainable option

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JANION SLMI

by Hangzhou Jarsin Chemical Technology

INCI: SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE

Sustainable option

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Iselux® Flakes

by Innospec

INCI: SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE

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What is SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE used for?

The water soluble, sulfate-free surfactant sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate is derived from coconut. This ingredient, which should not be confused with the similarly named sodium lauryl sulphate, is a remarkably mild surfactant and is regarded as one of the safest available. It is found at concentration of 0.009% in leave-on products and 0.64-10.1% in rinse-off products.

Skin care: As a result of its excellent formulary compatibility, it is well-known to work well with other ingredients in products like body washes and facial cleansers
Hair care: It is a safe alternative to sulfates. Unlike SCI (sodium cocoyl isethionate) which makes it possible to create opaque products, SLMI has excellent solubility in water, and therefore makes it possible to create sulfate-free, transparent shampoo formulations. It is often used in conjunction with CAPB

Origin

Lauric acid from coconuts and sodium isethionate can be esterified to create sodium lauroyl isethionate (SLI) in a single step. Then, sodium lauroyl isethionate is converted into sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate (SLMI) by adding a methyl group.

What does SODIUM LAUROYL METHYL ISETHIONATE do in a formulation?

CLEANSING|

SURFACTANT

Safety Profile

When used in personal care products, sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate was deemed safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Their study focused on products with a concentration of up to 10.1%. According to the CIR Expert Panel, isethionate salts, such as sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, are safe for use and concentration in cosmetics when they are formulated to be nonirritating.
With an Environmental Working Group (EWG) score of 1, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is deemed to be very safe, non-toxic, a non irritant, and is biodegradable. Sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate is also produced by ethoxylation, which makes it an environmentally unfriendly ingredient. It is prohibited in the COSMOS specifications.