EMULSIFIER
Laureth-23
- emulsifier
A water-loving emulsifier, normally paired with a lower-numbered laureth to balance a cream.
- products in our library
- 89
- of researched products
- 1%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #17
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How much oil it strips, as a class.
The foam the class is known for, not a measured volume.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Cleansing strength | Not a cleanser | 1 of 5 |
| Lather | Little | 1 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Laureth-23 does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Without one, a cream separates in the bottle.
How a clear liquid can carry an oil or a fragrance without going cloudy.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Hair neither pulls it in nor pushes it away.
Charge
Carries no charge, so it neither clings to hair nor is pushed away by it. Nonionic ingredients are the mild, pH-tolerant workhorses of a formula.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
40 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Conditioner
14 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Mask / treatment
6 products
|
secondary · #23 | |
Styler: gel
6 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Heat protectant
5 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Leave-in
5 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: curl cream
3 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: mousse
3 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
1 product
|
secondary · #24 | |
Finisher: serum
1 product
|
supporting · #8 |
5 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: shine spray
1 product
|
leading · #3 | |
Scalp treatment
1 product
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: hairspray
1 product
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: lotion
1 product
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
leading · #2 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 40 | 3% | 17 | 5 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 14 | 1% | 22 | 10 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 6 | 1% | 23 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 6 | 2% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Heat protectant | 5 | 2% | 12 | 11 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 5 | 1% | 16 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 3 | 1% | 17 | 17 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 3 | 1% | 19 | 16 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 1 | 3% | 24 | 24 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 1 | 1% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 1 | 1% | 3 | 3 | leading |
| Scalp treatment | 1 | 0% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
| Styler: hairspray | 1 | 0% | 11 | 11 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 1 | 3% | 14 | 14 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 2 | 2 | leading |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 7 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 6 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 22 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 39 |
| 26+ | Trace | 15 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- a stable cream that does not separate
- a clear formula that still carries oils
- a rinse-clean feel
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary emulsifier, listed below the main ingredients in our shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Dimethicone · 48
- Laureth-4 · 46
- Disodium EDTA · 45
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 39
- Dimethiconol · 35
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 34
- Salicylic Acid · 31
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 30
- Sodium Chloride · 29
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 29
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to smooth the surface, clean and build foam, and keep the formula stable.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Aussie · Styler
Instant Freeze Gel
#2 on the label · $0.71/oz
Aussie · Styler
Instant Volume Gel
#2 on the label · $0.82/oz
Aussie · Styler
Miracle Coils Shaping Jelly
#3 on the label · $0.74/oz
Aussie · Styler
Ultra Smooth Defining Jelly
#3 on the label · $0.99/oz
Herbal Essences · Styler
Strong Hold Curl Scrunching Gel with Frizz Control
#3 on the label · $1.00/oz
Maria Nila · Finisher
Floral Drift Hair Mist
#3 on the label · $8.58/oz
Pantene · Styler
Flexible Waves & Curls Gel
#3 on the label · $1.21/oz
As I Am · Styler
Smoothing Gel
#4 on the label · $0.80/oz
Redken · Mask / treatment
Extreme CAT Anti-Damage Protein Reconstructing Rinse-Off Treatment
#4 on the label · $5.00/oz
Bumble and bumble · Shampoo
Curl Moisturizing Shampoo
#5 on the label · $4.47/oz
As I Am · Leave-in
Cocoshea Spray
#6 on the label · $0.77/oz
Biolage · Finisher
Smooth Shine Milk
#8 on the label · $3.27/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Laureth-23
- solubilizer
- laureth-23
For your hair?
Whether Laureth-23 matters for your hair depends on your hair.
89 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Seed entry, sourcing in progress Written from our reference work; primary sourcing is still being attached.
No published source is attached to this entry yet.
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 89 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
