Barrier

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

INCI · Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate · also SCI

Revelika safety grade

Overview

A coconut-derived surfactant that produces a dense, creamy lather and is solid at room temperature, which is why it turns up in syndet cleansing bars as well as in powder-to-foam washes and creamy liquid cleansers.

Who it's for

Anyone who wants a bar-shaped cleanser without traditional soap, since bars built on it can be formulated near skin's own pH rather than the strongly alkaline range true soap requires.

Cautions

A mild-by-reputation surfactant is still a surfactant: how a finished wash actually feels depends on the total surfactant load, the pH and the contact time, none of which the ingredient list tells you. Judge the product, not the name.

Suitability
Suits skin type
Dry Oily Combination Sensitive Acne-prone Mature Normal
Concentration
Concentration0 – 10%
Effective from
Max safe
In the glossary
Frequently asked
What does Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate do in skincare?

A coconut-derived surfactant that produces a dense, creamy lather and is solid at room temperature, which is why it turns up in syndet cleansing bars as well as in powder-to-foam washes and creamy liquid cleansers.

Is Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate considered safe for skin?

A mild-by-reputation surfactant is still a surfactant: how a finished wash actually feels depends on the total surfactant load, the pH and the contact time, none of which the ingredient list tells you. Judge the product, not the name.

RRevelika

A science-forward beauty ingredient encyclopedia. Every entry is written from published research and graded conservatively before it publishes.

Editorial standard

Content is educational, not medical advice. When evidence is uncertain we say so — and we default to caution on pregnancy safety.

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