Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate - A Key Ingredient In Hair Care Products

Has the hair care issues which are cropping up every now and then become a cause of concern? Then you must understand that it’s time to change your hair care products. It is very important to have a good shampoo which is mild and does not dry out your scalp and a conditioner which keeps your hair soft and smooth. These two things are must-have products in your beauty arsenal so that they can keep your scalp healthy and make your hair look good.

Many times, you might have come across the term ‘sulfate-free’ on the label of shampoo and conditioner. It is always better to avoid them as sulfate-based surfactants are known to irritate the scalp by causing dryness. A surfactant is known to improve the performance of your shampoo and conditioner. It helps to break and dissolve the oil, dirt from the strands. But a surfactant should be such that it does not irritate your scalp, instead should be mild and gentle on your scalp. In this article, we are going to discuss one such surfactant i.e Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate which is known to be mild and gentle on your skin and does not irritate your scalp.

What Is Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate 

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is also known as ‘Baby Foam’ because it is a surfactant which is exceptionally mild. It is a fine white powder which has a mild odour. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is a combination of a type of sulphonic acid called Isethionic Acid and a fatty acid or sodium salt ester which is derived from coconut oil. This surfactant is used as a cleansing agent in many skincare, haircare, cleaning products. It is known to be non-allergic, non-irritating and non-toxic, hence used in a wide range of beauty products and toiletries.

Is Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Natural?

Surfactants such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are known to be harsh on your skin and are known to dry out your scalp making it itchy and irritating. But Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is a surfactant which is gentle and mild on your skin and does not irritate your skin, hence it is gradually replacing the traditional surfactants in your favourite skincare and hair care products.

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is completely natural and biodegradable as it is derived from coconut. This natural surfactant outplays other surfactants because of its excellent foaming ability, emulsifying and cleansing properties and moreover its compatibility with hard water, making your hair soft, smooth and more manageable. It is non-drying, non-irritating to your skin. As Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is derived from natural ingredients, it is considered to be completely safe for topical application.

Benefits Of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate 

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is a surfactant which is used in many skin care, hair care products because it is exceptionally mild and gentle on your skin. Due to its foaming ability and cleansing property, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is used in almost all the beauty products, personal care products, baby bath products and household cleaning products.  Let us have a look at some of the beneficial properties of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

1. It is known for its high foaming ability, producing rich lather, which enhances the cleansing action of the formulation without drying out your skin.
2. This surfactant is equally effective in both hard water and soft water, thereby enhancing the performance of your shampoos even in hard water.
3. It is known to be a mild cleansing agent, hence people with sensitive skin can also use it safely. It is widely used in baby bath products.
4. Its emulsifying property helps water and oil to mix together, due to which it is widely used in many shampoos and soaps.
5. Its emollient property helps to retain moisture in your strands, making it soft and shiny.
6. In hair care products, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate helps to increase the viscosity of the formulations, giving it a thick, creamy consistency.
7. It breaks down the oil present on the surface and dissolves oil and dirt from the surface, making it easier to get rid of dirt and grime while washing.
8. It gently conditions your skin, hair and helps retain moisture making the soft, smooth, well-nourished and moisturized.
9. It is an excellent surfactant as it lowers the surface tension between water and oil, creating a wet-feeling, hence widely used in cleaning products, haircare, skincare and personal care products.

Due to these incredible properties of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, this surfactant is slowly gaining momentum in the beauty industry. As surfactants such as SLS and SLES are known to have a drying effect on your scalp and skin, more and more people are opting for sulfate-free products, due to which natural surfactants such as Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate have started replacing traditional surfactants such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.

Uses Of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate 

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is an excellent surfactant which is known to be derived from natural resources and is exceptionally gentle and mild on your skin due to which this ingredient has secured a prominent space in beauty products and toiletries.

1. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate exhibits excellent foaming ability, producing thick, rich and luxurious lather due to which it is used in many shampoos, bath soaps, body washes and shower gels.
2. Due to its emollient properties, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is used in many conditioners, hair gels, serums, facial creams and moisturizing lotions.
3. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate exhibits intense cleansing property, due to which it is used in shampoos, liquid hand washes, body washes, facial cleansers, wipes, bar soaps, shower gels, detergents, household cleaning products.
4. Due to its excellent foaming ability, it is extensively used in bar and liquid shampoos, bar soaps, liquid body washes, bath bombs, bubble baths, liquid dish washes and detergents.
5. Its emulsifying property helps to break the oil, dirt and allows water to mix with oil and dirt. It helps in getting rid of the dirt while rinsing off your hair. Therefore, it is effectively used in soaps, shampoos and cleaning products.
6. Its moisture retaining property helps to keep your skin, scalp and hair moisturized, thereby making it soft and smooth. Due to its emollient property, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is used in creams, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, mousses and leave-on serums and gels.
7. It is used in most of the skincare, haircare and personal care products to increase the shelf life of the products.

As this high-performance surfactant is packed with incredible beneficial properties it is widely used in almost all the products that we use in our daily life.  From soaps, shampoos to creams, lotions and cleaning products, you can find Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate everywhere.

Side Effects Of Cocoyl Isethionate

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is generally considered to be mild on your skin, but even natural surfactants, if used in higher concentrations, are known to irritate the scalp and skin. In the shampoos and conditioners i.e rinse-off products, the allowed concentration of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is 50% and in leave-on hair care products like conditioners, hair serums the preferred concentration is 16%, above which is known to irritate the skin. A higher concentration of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is known to irritate your eyes causing redness, itching and watery eyes. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is for external use only. It is always better to consult a doctor before using Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate for therapeutic purposes. It should be stored in a cool dry place away from the reach of the children. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate in its raw form should never be applied near any sensitive areas such as eyes, ears and nose. If you are using Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate for the first time then do a patch test and check for any allergic reaction. If you notice any allergic reaction, then immediately discontinue its use and seek the advice of a medical health practitioner.

Take Away

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is considered to be a high-performance surfactant because of its excellent foaming ability. Moreover, it possesses emulsifying, emollient, conditioning and moisturizing properties due to which it is widely used in cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products. It is one of the few surfactants which is gentle and safe to be used on your skin. It has a conditioning effect on your skin and hair making it soft, supple. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is known to be a non-toxic, non-allergic and non-irritating ingredient to be used on your skin.

 Also Read: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate In Haircare Products

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