This non-ionic surfactant is willingly chosen by industrial formulators. It has very good emulsifying and dispersing properties. Moreover, it has very good degreasing and solubilizing properties. It is mainly used in the cosmetics, textile and chemical industries.
Laureth-2 is a non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier used mainly in the cosmetics industry. The chemical name for this compound is ethoxylated lauryl alcohol or polyoxyethylene lauryl alcohol. Together with other surfactants, it forms a group of compounds based on lauryl alcohol. Laureth-2 is a derivative of an alcohol containing C12-C16 of carbon atoms. Its CAS number is 68439-50-9.
Laureth-2 as a pure compound is a clear, less often cloudy liquid. It can also have the form of a clear liquid that has a build-up of sediment at the bottom causing turbidity. It has a weak but characteristic odour, and its colour (Hazen scale) is defined as a maximum of 50 at 40ᵒC. Laureth-2 is poorly soluble in water. In water, it forms cloudy solutions. It dissolves much better in low aliphatic alcohols, such as methanol or ethanol. Its molar mass is approx. 280 g/mol. The density at 20ᵒC is approx. 0.905 g/ml. Laureth-2 solidifies at a temperature close to 0ᵒC. The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) for Laureth-2 is 6.2.
In cosmetics, the role of Laureth-2 is primarily based on its ability to remove impurities. It is one of the basic cleansing ingredients of cosmetics due to its ability to emulsify impurities. Laureth-2 particles surround the contaminant molecule and separate it from the cleaned surface. Due to this effect, impurities can be effectively removed by rinsing them with water. This non-ionic surfactant is also a very good modifier of the rheologic properties of a formulation. By changing the rheologic properties of a cosmetic, i.e. influencing its viscosity, it acts as a thickening agent. The right consistency of the product is necessary to guarantee its proper application and performance properties. Moreover, Laureth-2 is a solubilizer of a wide range of perfumes and active ingredients.
Products containing Laureth-2:
Due to its properties, Laureth-2 is used in the chemical industry. It is one of the substrates used in the production of anionic surfactants belonging to the group of lauryl ether sulphates, i.e. popular SLES (commonly used in the cosmetic industry).
The detergent properties of Laureth-2 make it one of the components of not only make-up removers, but also all kinds of preparations intended for cleaning and washing. In order to be effective, it is often present in this type of products together with other non-ionic, anionic or cationic surfactants. Its effectiveness in detergents is significantly influenced by the fact that Laureth-2 can be successfully used in an oxidizing and reducing environment as well as in hard water.
Laureth-2 is also used in the textile industry for the pre-treatment of fibre. It is a component of formulations added to remove oil stains (from mineral oils) from fabrics and knitted fabrics, which form during industrial knitting and weaving processes. It can also be used in the final stages of textile processing — in the form of preparations improving performance characteristics.
