(C10-16) Alkyl alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate is an ingredient used in some laundry detergents. It's a surfactant that enhances the cleaning performance of the detergent and helps remove stains and dirt from fabrics effectively.

Alkyl alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate belongs to the family of ethoxylated alcohol surfactants. It's typically derived from renewable plant-based materials such as coconut or palm oils. The ethoxylation process involves treating fatty alcohols, resulting in a compound with both hydrophilic (water-loving) and lipophilic (oil-loving) properties.

When used as a surfactant used in laundry detergents, this ingredient reduces the surface tension of water in the washing machine, helping the water to effectively wet the fabric and loosen dirt, stains, and oils from the textile fibres, ensuring fabrics come out of the wash thoroughly cleaned and refreshed.

Assessments of Alkyl alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate are mixed: EWG and the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) classify this ingredient as a chemical of concern, while the EPA list it as low concern on their Safer Choice Chemicals List. A risk assessment by the Human & Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Project reviewed the health and environmental impacts of Alcohol Ethoxylates (AE), and concluded that “the use of AE in household laundry and cleaning detergents is safe and does not cause concern with regard to consumer use.” We only use this ingredient with care where it meets our strict safety and environmental criteria.

Other names: Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated propoxylated

Chemical class: Alkoxylated Alcohols

REFERENCES

HERA. (2009). Human & Environmental Risk Assessment on ingredients of European Household Cleaning Products: Alcohol Ethoxylates. https://www.heraproject.com/files/34-f-09%20hera%20ae%20report%20version%202%20-%203%20sept%2009.pdf

European Chemicals Agency (2023). Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated propoxylated. EC number: 614-942-0 | CAS number: 69227-22-1 https://echa.europa.eu/substance-information/-/substanceinfo/100.131.923
https://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/legal-notice

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2023). Safer Chemical Ingredients List: Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated propoxylated. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients#pop69227221

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for , Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated propoxylated. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Alcohols_-C10-16_-ethoxylated-propoxylated