The Cosmos Organic standard prohibits the highly controversial ethoxylated detergent sodium laureth sulfate as a carcinogen. The precursor, sodium lauryl sulfate, is a surfactant widely used in cosmetics. It is produced from palm oil. It has very strong foaming and detergent properties, but it is highly irritating and drying to the skin, and toxic to the aquatic environment.
At Alaena, our formulation charter is very strict, so we do not use any sulfates. In the Bathroom Collection, we have replaced them with gentle, plant-based, biodegradable detergents (therefore respectful of aquatic environments) for a gentle cleaning with a light foam.
The INCI list includes sodium cocoate (a saponified form of coconut oil that produces a very soft lather), lauryl glucoside (a mild non-ionic surfactant of plant origin) and sodium cocoyl glutamate (made from coconut oil fatty acids and a natural protein extract, glutamate).