The sky rocketing prices of Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Tartrate and Sodium Cocopolyglucoside Citrate have make the prices of all of our amber colored sulfate free shampoos, cleansers and 3-1 gels go through the roof.  We have been working round the clock to reformulate all of the products that depend on those ingredients.  The price increase turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The new products are superior to the original formulas!  And the prices are great too. 

From a chemical standpoint, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate is a very unique surfactant. It demonstrates outstanding performance in cleansing, foaming, wetting, viscosity building, mildness and emulsification. It is an excellent surfactant for any water hardness and is biodegradable making it a versatile ingredient in cosmetic formulation. Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate was specifically developed to be mild to the skin. It is commonly the surfactant of choice for formulators developing products that are designed for those who have sensitivity to other soaps. The sodium lauryl sulfoacetate molecule is a valuable and unique molecule that has been in use for over 30 years in cosmetics.

Some common characteristics of sodium lauryl sulfoacetate are that it is relatively non-hygroscopic (it does not absorb or retain moisture from the air) and is resistant to hydrolysis (it does not react with water to produce other compounds) even at high temperatures. It is especially stable at the common cosmetic pH range of 5.5 to 7.8. Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate is biodegradable and has shown in laboratory studies to undergo both primary and ultimate biodegradation. This product has a good toxicological profile which makes it an ingredient of choice for dentifrice (toothpastes), shampoos, cleansing creams, sensitive skin soap bars and shower gels. To add to its track record, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate is registered in the United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia and is compliant with the EU regulations.

The safety and mildness of sodium lauryl sulfoacetate lies in the absence of a sulfate ion head, which is commonly found in many other surfactants. The sulfate ion, which originates in sulfuric acid, is replaced with the more stable sulfonated ester. This sulfate free surfactant is made with lauryl alcohol, derived from palm kernel oil, which is then condensed with a sulfonated form of acetic acid, or vinegar. It is this charged sulfonated acetate group which gives this molecule its mild surfactant properties.


Figure 1) Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate


Figure2) Sodium lauryl sulfate

Note in figure 1 and 2 that the molecules posses an identical charge on their head and contain an equal number of carbon atoms attached to their functional group, making them very similar in physical appearance and overall function. The sodium lauryl sulfoacetate however, lacks the potentially harmful sulfate head attached to the carbon chain. Controversy? As Result, we still offer other sf products including … Other companies using it (Jason, etc.)