What Is Lauryl Glucoside?
Lauryl glucoside is an ingredient used in skincare and cosmetic formulations to improve the cleansing abilities of cleansers, body washes and soaps.
Lauryl glucoside is a thick yellow substance that is derived from palm kernel oil, corn sugar or coconut. Lauryl glucoside is an alkyl glucoside. Alkyl glucosides are a class of ingredients that are made by mixing alcohols and a sugar like glucose.
Generally, lauryl glucoside is derived from naturally-occurring ingredients but can also be made synthetically. Synthetic production minimizes the pressure on natural resources and reducing environmental issues with harvesting, processing, and transportation. Due to the ability of lauryl glucoside to be made from naturally-occurring ingredients, it is considered to be an eco-friendly or sustainable ingredient.
Lauryl glucoside is used as a surfactant that helps to lift dirt and oils from the skin, allowing them to be washed away. This is why you will often find lauryl glucoside in cleansing products such as washes and cleansers.
Lauryl Glucoside
the good: Helps to improve the cleansing abilities of products. Acting as a surfactant lauryl glucoside helps to lift dirt and oil, allowing them to be washed more easily from the skin.
the not so good: Like any ingredient, it can cause allergies for some people. Lauryl glucoside is generally considered to be non-irritating, however can cause irritation in some skin types.
Who is it for? All skin types except those that have an identified allergy to it.
Synergetic ingredients: Works well with most ingredients.
Keep an eye on: Nothing to keep an eye on here.
Why Is Lauryl Glucoside Used?
Lauryl glucoside is mainly used as a surfactant. Surfactants help to break down the surface tension between two liquids allowing for a deeper clean. This is why lauryl glucoside is used in products such as cleansers, shampoos, body washes, hand soap and eco-friendly household cleaning products.
Is Lauryl Glucoside Gentler Than Decyl Glucoside or Coco-Glucoside?
Lauryl glucoside is part of a group of ingredients called the alkyl glucosides. This group includes decyl glucoside and coco-glucoside. These three ingredients are the most commonly used alkyl glucosides in skincare, cosmetics and household cleaning products, however, they do vary slightly in mildness. Decyl glucoside and coco-glucoside are considered to be the mildest of the alkyl glucosides. Lauryl glucoside is slightly more irritating than decyl glucoside and coco-glucoside but isn’t considered to be as irritating as caprylyl/ capryl glucoside which is another alkyl glucoside used in the same way.
Is Lauryl Glucoside Safe?
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, a group responsible for evaluating the safety of skincare and cosmetic ingredients has reviewed the research available for lauryl glucoside. The Expert Panel concluded that lauryl glucoside is safe for its current uses and in the current concentrations in which it is used.
