INCI name

DISODIUM CETEARYL SULFOSUCCINATE

Disodium cetearyl sulfosuccinate

Cleansing Surfactant – emulsifying Foaming Surfactant – foam boosting Surfactant – hydrotrope Skin conditioning Surfactant – cleansingreviewed

A mild anionic surfactant of the sulfosuccinate type with many cleansing functions.

What it is

Disodium cetearyl sulfosuccinate is the disodium salt of a sulfosuccinic acid ester of C16-18 (cetearyl) alcohols. CosIng lists it as a cleansing, emulsifying, foaming, foam-boosting, hydrotrope, skin-conditioning and surfactant ingredient.

Where it is used

Found in shampoos, shower gels, facial cleansers, solid cleansing bars and creams.

Limits of interpretation

The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.

The INCI name does not reveal whether the fatty alcohols are of plant or synthetic origin.

Functions

Cleansing: Helping to keep the body surface clean.
Surfactant – emulsifying: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
Foaming: Traping numerous small bubbles of air or other gas within a small volume of liquid by modifying the surface tension of the liquid.
Surfactant – foam boosting: Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilize foams in general.
Surfactant – hydrotrope: Enhancing the water solubility of another surfactant.
Skin conditioning: Maintaining the skin in good condition.
Surfactant – cleansing: Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).

EU regulation

This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.

Products with this ingredient (32)

Check a full ingredient list