Quick answer

A powerful anionic (water- and oil-loving) surfactant; Has cleansing and foaming properties; Often used in skin, body, hair and home care products; Can disrupt the skin barrier, causing dryness and sensitization

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Updated

Sulfonic acids, C14-16-alkane hydroxy and C14-16-alkene, sodium salts

Purpose

Sensitizing anionic surfactant with cleansing and foaming properties. It can disrupt skin’s barrier, causing dryness due to water loss.

Rating

WORST

Category

Cleansing Agent, Irritant

INCI Purpose

CLEANSING, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING

Risks

Sulfate — Cleansing agent that can strip natural oils and cause dryness

Alternative Names

Hair Profile

Functions

Anionic Surfactant

Helps With

Oily scalp

Suitable For

Scalp oily

Role

Strong sulfate-free clarifier. Cuts through hard water minerals and heavy styling products (gels, waxes).

Scalp Avoid in Conditioner

At a Glance

A powerful anionic (water- and oil-loving) surfactant

Has cleansing and foaming properties

Often used in skin, body, hair and home care products

Can disrupt the skin barrier, causing dryness and sensitization

Article

Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate is an anionic surfactant used in skin care, hair care and home good products due to its cleansing and foaming abilities. Anionic surfactants have water-loving and oil-loving polar ends, making them versatile and highly effective for use in rinse-off products such as facial and body cleansers. But…some of them can work too well, harming skin in the process.

As a powerful surfactant, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate can disrupt the skin barrier, creating an uptick in water loss from skin’s uppermost layers. Together, this can cause dryness and sensitization even from brief exposures.

Overall, there are many gentler cleansing agents to choose from when formulating a skin care product, so we generally advise avoiding this one if it’s among the primary surfactants in a face wash or shampoo. While not recommended as a primary surfactant in skin care products, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate can be used at low concentrations in combination with milder surfactants to boost the foaming capacity of the finished product.

References