Trying to avoid SLS and other harsh surfactants in your cosmetics? There are many mild, natural surfactants available. Learn about the different types of natural surfactants, with a list of my favorites.
What is a surfactant?
There are many types of surfactants and they are used for many different purposes, but they all share one quality: they help increase the wetting properties of a liquid. Surfactants can be found almost everywhere. You can find them in everything from detergents and shampoos to toothpaste and even conditioners.
Surfactant definition:
(A surfactant,) also called surface-active agent, (is a ) substance such as a detergent that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Surfactant function
Some surfactants are emulsifiers, others are foaming agents (and some may actually do the opposite of those functions). Some act as detergents, while others act as insecticides or fungicides. Some help with solubilizing (small amounts of oils into water, for example) and others help increase viscosity.
How do surfactants work?
Surfactants affect the surface tension of liquids to increase wetting.
Why would you want to increase wetting?
Normally, when you spray water on a surface like a window, rather than spread evenly over the surface, the water will bead up. That’s because of the surface tension of the water. The molecules of the water come together in a stable configuration and are attracted to each other. When you are trying to clean that window, though, that beading isn’t helping you. You want the water to spread evenly over the surface to better clean it. You also want something that can grab onto the grease and dirt on whatever surface you are trying to clean.
Micelles in surfactants
Surfactants affect the surface tension that is making the water bead up rather than spread out. They have a water-loving head and an fat (oil) loving tail. They come together in structures called micelles.
I already explained a bit about how the micelles in surfactants work in my micellar water recipe, but for those who haven’t read that post, let me give you a quick, simplified explanation. The water-loving heads of the micelles bond with the water while the oil-loving tails on the inside of the micelles bond with the grease and grime. That pulls the grease and grime into the center of the micelles out of contact with the water, making them easier to rinse away.
You’ll also find that hot water helps clean better because the hot water helps melt the fats which makes it easier for them to be brought into the micelles.
Types of surfactants
There are four main types of surfactants, each behaving somewhat differently, and some with completely different functions. The detergent-like surfactants tend to be the anionic, non-ionic and amphoteric surfactants. Some cationic surfactants are used as emulsifiers and are great for hair conditioners. (I use BTMS, a cationic surfactant, in my hair conditioner recipe.)
These are classified based on the charge of the polar head of the surfactant which can have a positive charge (cationic), a negative charge (anionic), or no charge (non-inonic). Amphoteric surfactants have both a cationic and anionic part attached to the same molecule.
- Anionic – Anionic surfactants are the most commonly used surfactants because they tend to provide the best cleaning power and the most foam. You’ve probably heard people talking about one of the most commonly used anionic surfactants, SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate). It can be found in everything from shampoos and shower gels to even toothpaste. I’ve also shown you how to make soap (many types by now!), another anionic surfactant.
Anionic surfactants can be harsher on the skin, which is why they are often combined with other types of milder surfactants. - Nonionic – The second most commonly used surfactants are nonionic surfactants. They don’t ionize in water or aqueous solutions. Nonionic surfactants are gentler when cleaning. Because they don’t carry a charge, they are the most compatible with other types of surfactants. Recently, sugar-based nonionic surfactants have been developed to offer a safer, non-toxic alternative to some of the more harsh surfactants on the market up until now.
- Cationic – Cationic surfactants don’t generally give foaming like the other types of surfactants. They are often used in hair care products (mainly conditioners and anti-static products because they don’t provide the foaming for use in shampoos) because their positive charge is attracted to the negative charge in hair. This makes it difficult to completely wash them from your hair, so some stays behind to help reduce friction between hairs which, in turn, reduces the amount of electrostatic charge in hair. This helps make hair more manageable and helps prevent damage.
Cationic surfactants aren’t usually compatible with anionic surfactants! - Amphoteric – Amphoteric surfactants can carry either a positive or negative charge depending on the pH of your product. Despite that, they are still compatible with all of the other types of surfactants. These tend to be very mild surfactants which is why they are usually combined with other surfactants. While amphoteric surfactants may not give a lot of foam on their own, they can help boost the foam of the other surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are often combined with anionic surfactants to reduce their harshness and help stabilize their foam.
Natural surfactants list:
Natural surfactants can be derived from many types of plants. Common sources are coconut or palm, but they can also be derived from other types of fruits and vegetables.
There are many natural surfactants on the market today, and with increased consumer demand, I imagine that many more will be available in time. I have tried many of them, but today I’ll focus on some of my favorites. I like these surfactants because they are gentle, they tend to be easier to find, and they work well together. You can use these in everything from gentle shampoos to shower gels, facial cleanser, and baby washes.
Choosing your surfactants
Keep in mind that many of these surfactants are not palm free, so you’ll want to source them from places that allow for sustainable methods of obtaining their materials. I buy surfactants that have been certified sustainable by RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) standards.
Another thing to keep in mind is that these surfactants can differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. The names are polymeric and aren’t referring to an exact structure. Some places will use different plants as the origin of elaborating each surfactant, and the way each surfactant cleans, solubilizes, etc. can vary depending on where you buy it from. I’ll be describing these surfactants based on my suppliers, but you’ll want to check on the specifications of the surfactant you are buying if it’s important to you to know what plants have been used to derive them, the pH, the concentration, etc. Use this list as a general guideline!
Along those lines, while mine are listed as ECOCERT approved, that may also be dependent upon the manufacturer of each surfactant.
I’ll be updating this list and adding more surfactants as I use them and learn more about them. For now, though, this should give you a good starting point to understanding what we are going to be working with.
Coco Glucoside
Coco Glucoside is a non-ionic surfactant that is obtained from coconut oil and fruit sugars, but it can also be obtained from either potato or corn. It is a very gentle, foamy cleanser and is completely biodegradable. You can use it in products that you want to have an ECOCERT certification. It has an alkaline pH (around 12) which makes it self-preserving as is, but you will probably have to adjust the final pH of products using it to pull it into a range more suitable for your skin or hair (and you’ll need to add a preservative).
Decyl Glucoside
Decyl Glucoside is very similar to coco glucoside (non-ionic and ECOCERT compatible), but it has a shorter chain length. It creates less foam (its foam is less stable) than coco glucoside but it does add more viscosity to a product. It is derived from coconut oil and glucose and is completely biodegradable. It can be used in all sorts of shampoos, gels, baby products, etc.
Lauryl Glucoside
Lauryl Glucoside is very similar to the other 2 glucosides I’ve mentioned. It has a longer chain length and more viscosity. It takes longer to foam than the other two, but it also has the most stable foam. While it is also a mild cleanser, it isn’t as mild as the other 2 alkyl polyglucosides.
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is a gentle anionic surfactant that can be used in natural products (ECOCERT). It is a great alternative to SLS for a milder, more natural shampoo (or body wash, etc.). It has larger molecules than some of the other surfactants (like SLS) making it unable to penetrate and irritate the skin in the same way. It cleans and provides foam in products made for people with sensitive skin.
Coco Betaine
Coco betaine is a coconut based amphoteric surfactant. It’s mild and can help boost foam and increase the viscosity of products made with it. It’s very mild and provides for gentle cleansing. It’s completely biodegradable and has a pH around 6-8. It is also ECOCERT compatible so it can be used in the elaboration of “natural” and “organic” type products.
Sodium Coco Sulfate
Sodium coco sulfate is an anionic surfactant that is ECOCERT and BDIH friendly. It has a pH of 10-11 and is derived from coconut oil. It is a water-soluble surfactant that is sold in solid form. It’s usually used in non-soap shampoo bars and/or bar cleaners (syndet bars).
Plantapon® SF
Plantapon SF is a mix of vegetable-based surfactants (coconut, corn, and palm based) that can be used in a variety of gentle cleansing products like shampoos, shower gels, and facial cleansers. It includes sodium cocoamphoacetate, lauryl glucoside, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate, and glycerin. It has a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
Because this is a mix of surfactants, it can be a good choice for those who are just delving into working with surfactants. You can easily mix up formulations without needing to buy a lot of raw materials or doing a lot of work. (I’ll work on getting up some recipes that use this as soon as I can.)
Completely natural surfactants
While not as effective as the other more processed surfactants derived from natural sources, those looking for a completely natural alternative may be interested in studying some of these natural surfactants. These plant based cleansers all have natural saponins that are a type of non-ionic surfactant. They can be used alone or combined with the other surfactants for a more effective final product.
Soap Nuts (Soap Berries, Aritha)
The fruits taken from the sapindus trees/shrubs from the lychee family have saponins which are natural non-ionic surfactants. They are usually called either soap nuts or soap berries, and they clean without creating much foam.
You can either throw a cloth bag of them in with your laundry to naturally wash your clothes, or you can steep them in warm water to extract a liquid that can be used for cleaning. Make just enough for what you’ll need and you can freeze the rest.
Liquid Yucca Extract
Liquid yucca extract is a natural non-ionic surfactant that comes from the yucca plant, a desert plant that has natural saponins of its own. While you can add it to your homemade shampoos, yucca extract is also used in gardening to help get nutrients to the roots of other plants by washing away concentrated salts that build up.
Shikakai powder
Shikakai powder is another plant with natural saponins which are natural non-ionic surfactants. It is normally used in hair care as a very natural “shampoo.” It naturally has a low pH which makes it ideal for hair care. It’s said to be good for all hair types, especially those that are prone to breakage and damage. Like with the other natural surfactants, you can either combine it with other surfactants or use it on its own. To use it on its own, you make a paste by mixing the powder with warm water and running it through your wet hair once it the paste has cooled. You then leave it to act for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it out. It may slightly darken hair.
Soapwort
Soapwort is another plant that has been used for many years as a soap alternative. It can be used to clean the skin, wash your hair, or even as a laundry soap. It’s especially good for delicate fabrics. To use soapwort, you need to make an infusion of the soapwort in water, and then you can use the resulting liquid as a liquid soap alternative.
Eman
Hi tracy how much, coco glucoside
For 1000g of oil for soap making?
Leslie
Hi, such great information in this post! Is there a natural surfactant that is best for an oil based face cleanser? I’m having trouble finding something !
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Leslie,
I’m not sure I understand what you are trying to make?
A product that only has oils and surfactants?
Emanuel
This awsome, ive learned a lot thanks for sharing tracy.
I kept it for long time, this so much useful, i wanna learn more from you. GOD BLESS TRACY YOU ARE GREAT. ?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Thank you so much, Emanuel.
Bless you too. I’ll do my best to keep adding new information.
Eman
Can you help me i want to make whitening soap for my whole family. I already watched a lot of videos in youtube how to making soap, can you make me a great recipe for that? And can you teach me how to do it? Thansk advance
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Eman,
I’m not really sure how to make a soap be “whitening.”
I’d have to look into it. To be honest, though, I’d be really hesitant to post a recipe like that with the current state of affairs.
Eman
Hi, ok ill understand.
tracy can i add you on fb?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Eman,
I have a facebook page you can follow here: https://www.facebook.com/thethingswellmake/
Eman
I already follow your page..
Tracy for making soap what is the best measurement of oil.
More coconut oil or more olive oil?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Eman,
It really depends on what type of soap you want to make. Those with olive oil are more conditioning, but don’t clean as well and don’t lather as well. I have a pure olive oil soap on the blog, the pure Castile soap. Some people love that type of soap, other people hate it.
Then, the coconut oil soaps are very bubbly and clean very well, but can be drying to the skin. I really like coconut oil for soap, but it may not be the best for face and body. I have a pure coconut oil soap recipe on the blog. It’s the laundry soap.
Remember that you can’t just switch out oils in a recipe without running them through a lye calculator first.
Ninna
Hi is it possible to add surfactants to castile liquid soap?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Ninna,
I’m not sure why you would want to use them together. I generally stick to using soap or a mixture of other surfactants. I normally use other surfactants when I want to use something in a neutral or acidic pH range where soap would fall apart.
Daria
Hi!! I am totally new to surfactants and still a little bit puzzled, but just need to do a bit more research. I do have a question however, I don’t know if you have ever heard of the product “poo pourri”? hehe I know a little bit random, definitely worth googling though 🙂 I was trying to find their ingredients, and they don’t have them on their label, and on the website its very vague, and I was trying to recreate it at home. Their ingredients are basically: distilled water, essential oils and a surfactant… I was wondering if you could help me or suggest a surfactant that I can use? Since its not made for the skin, is there a surfactant that can be used without a preservative?
I know so many questions! hehe Im learning on the way 🙂
Thanks and hope you have a gorgeous day!
Tracy Ariza, DDS
That’s an interesting product. I’m not sure if it would mold if you didn’t use a preservative. If you won’t be touching it, it’s obviously not as important, but I don’t know.
I think you’d have to experiment with surfactants. My thought is that they have added the surfactant mostly as a way to incorporate the essential oil into the water. You could just incorporate them into a high strength alcohol, though, and then you wouldn’t need to add a preservative because the alcohol would be preserving it.
Lauro
Hi Tracy,
Have you tried making a high quality concentrated liquid laundry using coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, decyl glucoside, chamomile flower extract as a ingredients in a product?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Lauro,
No, I haven’t. I decided that I didn’t have a problem adding SLS to my homemade laundry detergent because it’s a more potent cleanser. I don’t use it on my skin, but have no issues for clothes. Did you see my recipe for a homemade laundry detergent?
That said, I’m sure you could make a more gentle detergent without it, using the others. It may not be quite as effective at getting out stains, though.
Eunice
Hi Tracy
Thank you for this informative post, i’m planning to make all natural plant based facial oil cleanser but would like to foam and remove any excess oil left on the skin. I would like to know if using any of of the 4 listed complete natural surfactant with natural saponins will be ideal to add to the oil mixture? Which would you suggest mixes well with oil?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Eunice,
To be honest, I don’t know.
I’ve never tried to use surfactants with an oil-based product before. I’d have to do more research to have a better idea of what to recommend.
Sandra
Hi Tracey,
Great post, I’m making African black soap into a liquid form, and I’ve noticed it’s doesn’t foam as much as I would like. I’ve now researched and come across coco glucoside and Lauryl glucoside. Which one do you think is best for the face, and do I need to combine either one with anything else to achieve the foaming?
Thanks
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Sandra,
I like coco glucoside better. I find that Lauryl glucoside is quite thick and harder to work with.
For a gentle cleanser, you can use only one. If it doesn’t foam as much as you like, you can also try using a foaming dispenser. I’ve used one with my homemade micellar water, and it works really well. (The micellar water recipe uses only one surfactant. I chose decyl glucoside, but coco glucoside should work just as well!)
Desiree Cooper
Could cocoglucoside and bentaine be used together?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Desiree,
Yes, you can use those two together. I have before. 😉
They complement each other because one is amphoteric and the other is non-ionic. One boosts the foam of the other, etc. 😉
John C
I wonder why Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is considered natural if it has the following health issues according to the EWG organization:
https://www.ewg.org/guides/substances/1944-DISODIUMLAURETHSULFOSUCCINATE/
I am new to this world and wanting to know a bit more.
I appreaciate your input
Thanks
John
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi John,
That’s an interesting question, and I find the rating interesting because in the past, I know it was lower. (I always look these things up too.) 😉
It seems that the EWG has a concern with it possibly being contaminated with ethylene oxide or 1,4 dioxane.
With the EWG, it’s hard to know for sure how they are judging these ingredients. I don’t know if they found a specific Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate that was contaminated, or if it happens often due to the processing of the surfactant or what.
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is recommended in the various courses I have taken that specifically study natural surfactants. so…
I took an investigative break and found this: http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/todays-chemical/2013/2/9/disodium-laureth-sulfosuccinate.html
Which backs up my thoughts on the EWG rating being lower before.
I guess it is allowed in natural products because it is milder than something like SLS, but it obviously has some possible concerns.
Thanks for pointing that out. I can make a note of it on the post. 😉