Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate is a plant-based anionic surfactant known for its cleansing and foaming properties. It is widely used in cosmetic and personal care products for its ability to effectively remove dirt and oil from skin and hair while maintaining good skin tolerance.
Chemical Composition and Structure
Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate is the sodium salt of 2-sulfolauric acid, a molecule with a long fatty acid chain (C12) and a sulfonic group. This chemical structure makes it an effective surfactant, with good surface tension reduction and stable foam-forming properties.
Physical Properties
It appears as a white powder or granules, water-soluble, with mild foaming capabilities. It provides a soft foam profile, making it ideal for products requiring gentle cleansing with a pleasant sensory experience.
Production Process
Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate is produced through the reaction of lauric acid, derived from natural sources like coconut or palm oil, with a sulfonating agent. The final product is neutralized with sodium to form the disodium salt.
Applications
Medical: Used in gentle cleansers for sensitive skin or dermatological conditions.
Cosmetics: Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate is widely used in shampoos, facial cleansers, body washes, and liquid soaps for its cleaning ability and skin compatibility.
INCI Functions
Cleansing agent. Ingredient that cleanses skin without exploiting the surface-active properties that produce a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum.
Surfactant - Cleansing agent. Cosmetic products used to cleanse the skin utilise the surface-active action that produces a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum, facilitating the removal of dirt and impurities.
Environmental and Safety Considerations
Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate is considered safe for cosmetic use and is biodegradable. As it is derived from renewable plant-based sources, it has a low environmental impact. However, it is important to ensure that raw materials are sustainably sourced to avoid deforestation.
Molecular Formula C12H22Na2O5S
Molecular Weight 324.35 g/mol
CAS 38841-48-4
UNII 329M3829G2
EC Number 853-620-6
DTXSID20889733
Synonyms:
disodium;2-sulfonatododecanoate
References__________________________________________________________________________
Friedman, M. (2016). Chemistry, formulation, and performance of syndet and combo bars. In Soap Manufacturing Technology (pp. 73-106). AOCS Press.
Abstract: Soap is undoubtedly the oldest surfactant and skin cleanser. For thousands of years, soap has been obtained from saponification of oils and fats by alkali, the oldest recipe being boiling animal fats and wood ashes. Soap is chemically defined as the alkali salt of fatty acids. In general parlance, the term soap has taken on a more functional definition, by which any cleansing agent, regardless of its chemistry, is considered a soap. This sometimes misleading definition will be further considered as this chapter deals with the chemistry of the synthetic detergents and the soapless soap revolution. Conventional soaps that are alkaline salts of fatty acids are characterized by multiple attributes, such as very good emulsification, detergent, and usage properties, as well as ease of manufacture and low cost....This has changed the surfactant base from alkyl sulfate/disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate (DSLSS) …2000 combo bar replaced sodium cocoyl isethionate with sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate. …
Luginbühl, M., Bekaert, B., Suesse, S., & Weinmann, W. (2019). Detox shampoos for EtG and FAEE in hair–Results from in vitro experiments. Drug testing and analysis, 11(6), 870-877.
Abstract The assessment of alcohol consumption behavior in hair is well established in forensic toxicology. The Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) recommends the direct alcohol markers ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) for the detection of past alcohol consumption. In this study, we investigated if detox shampoos which are sold online can have an impact on EtG or FAEE concentrations in hair. According to customer reviews, positive drug testing results could be avoided after long-term incubation with shampoo under a swimming cap. To evaluate the potential of four detox shampoos, we incubated distal hair samples from three subjects, obtained during a standard haircut, for 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 hours. For EtG, three shampoos performed similar to deionized water. The fourth shampoo showed additional heavy washout effects with a decrease of up to 86% after 2.5 hours. For the apolar FAEE, no washout was observed. Incubation with two shampoos resulted in increases in FAEE concentrations due to FAEE being present as shampoo ingredients. Further investigation of EtG washout in proximal forensic hair samples (n = 9) with the most potent shampoo showed a mean decrease in deionized water of 23% ± 25%, and a decrease by the use of detox shampoo of 73% ± 12%, compared to non-incubated hair after 8 hours. In conclusion, detox shampoos proved to have the potential to alter EtG and FAEE concentrations in hair during in vitro experiments....… Ingredients according to the shampoo label: Water, sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate, disodium 2-sulfolaurate....
Erbul, B. T., Orhan, S., & Saka, B. Formulation of Mild Shampoos and Investigation of Possible Prebiotic Effects. Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, 8(4), 100-105.
Abstract Background: Recently, there has been a significant increase in the application of prebiotics in cosmetic products. Thus, this investigation aims to create two mild shampoo compositions, containing inulin; a distinguished prebiotic, and a reference shampoo. As a further step, the efficacy of formulations against strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria, as well as mixed cultures of these two bacteria, was assessed. Materials and Methods: After formulation development, physicochemical (physical appearance, pH, percentage of solid contents, viscosity, density and stability studies) and biological evaluations (challenge test, MIC (Minimum inhibition concentration), MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration) were carried out. Results: The results showed that the hair and body shampoo formulas displayed good stability and maintained their physicochemical properties under different conditions over time. Furthermore, they were microbiologically safe according to the challenge test and instrumental analysis. Microbial assays indicated that Shampoo-A promoted the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis while inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of prebiotic active, whereas Shampoo-B inhibited the growth of both bacteria. Conclusions: Although further research is required to declare the microbiome-related claims, the development of these products holds promise for positive effects on skin health and microbiome.
Blazka, M. E., Diaco, M., Harbell, J. W., Raabe, H., Sizemore, A., Wilt, N., & Bagley, D. M. (2005). EpiOcular™ human cell construct: tissue viability and histological changes following exposure to surfactants. Toxicologist, 85, 409.
Abstract. The ability of the EpiOcular™ construct to predict the eye irritation potential of surfactants and surfactantbased formulations has been the subject of a formal validation program. EpiOcular™ correlates a test article's potential for ocular irritation with the time it takes to reduce tissue viability by 50% (ET50) as measured by the tissue's ability to reduce MTT. An algorithm is used to convert the ET50 value to a 'predicted Draize' score which can then be compared toin vivo data. This study investigated whether the histological changes following exposure are in agreement with the MTT results. Eight surfactants were selected from the validation study; 4 surfactants whose in vitro ocular irritation potential agreed with the in vivo data (cetyl alcohol; 3% sodium lauryl sulfate; 50% didecyldimonium chloride; sodium sulfolaurate mixture) and 4 whose in vitro data differed from the in vivo data (10% cetylpyridinium bromide; 3.2% benzethonium chloride; C10-12 alcohol ethoxylate; quaternium-18). Exposure times used in this study bracketed ET50values established in the validation study. For all surfactants, the results showed a good relationship between the degree of histological damage with changes in tissue viability. An increase in the depth and severity of tissue damage was associated with a decrease in tissue viability. Histological changes rangedfrom subtle cellular changes such as vacuolization and punctate chromatin condensation to overt tissue loss and cell necrosis. Loss of or damage to the surface squamous epithelium was associated with <20% decrease in viability, while the degree of damage to the central squamous epithelium was directly related to a 20-80% decrease in viability. In conclusion, the nature and severity of the histological changes were in agreement with the MTT results. Understanding the progression and types of cellular changes associated with tissue damage may be able to help distinguish the degrees of ocular irritation.
Disodium 2-sulfolaurate 
2-sulfolauric acid
