CLEANSER
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- cleanser
A strong non-sulfate detergent used in "sulfate-free" shampoos. It cleans about as thoroughly as a sulfate despite the label difference.
- products in our library
- 464
- of researched products
- 7%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #2
- 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 | Strong | 5 of 5 |
| Lather | Dense | 5 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A sulfate-free anionic that cleanses nearly as hard as a sulfate; not the gentle tier.
A high-foaming detergent class that removes oil and product quickly.
Foam is a feel, not a measure of how clean hair gets.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Charge
Negatively charged, like the hair surface itself, so hair pushes it away instead of holding on to it. It rinses off easily, and most detergents carry this charge.
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
445 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Scalp treatment
6 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Co-wash
4 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: mousse
4 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Mask / treatment
2 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: volumizer
2 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Conditioner
1 product
|
leading · #2 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 445 | 29% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Scalp treatment | 6 | 2% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Co-wash | 4 | 4% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: mousse | 4 | 2% | 29 | 21 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 2 | 0% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: volumizer | 2 | 1% | 12 | 11 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 1 | 0% | 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 | 421 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 33 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 3 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 3 |
| 26+ | Trace | 4 |
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.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
A strong detergent with no sulfate on the label. It removes deposited films about as completely as a sulfate does.
Sulfate-free on the label is a naming fact, not a mildness one: this is an efficient detergent, and hair short of moisture can feel it.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients, positions 4–8 or the lower half of the ordered list.Read from this ingredient’s chemical class. Where we have researched the ingredient itself, that reading replaces the class one.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- a deep clean without a sulfate on the label
- a sulfate-free wash that still cleanses strongly
- a product that actually cleans
- 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 primary olefin sulfonate cleanser near the top of the ingredient list 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.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 391
- Sodium Chloride · 250
- Glycol Distearate · 221
- Polyquaternium-10 · 184
- Sodium Hydroxide · 178
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 169
- Polyquaternium-7 · 161
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 155
- Benzyl Alcohol · 122
- Disodium EDTA · 111
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to clean and build foam, keep the formula stable, and soften the strand.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Aphogee · Shampoo
Keratin & Green Tea Shampoo
#1 on the label · $0.79/oz
Camille Rose · Shampoo
Coconut Water Curl Cleanse
#1 on the label · $1.10/oz
18.21 Man Made · Shampoo
Anti-Flake Shampoo & Conditioner - Sweet Tobacco
#2 on the label · $2.13/oz
AAVRANI · Shampoo
Scalp Detox Jelly Cleanser
#2 on the label · $4.02/oz
Africa's Best · Co-wash
Originals Honey Castor Co-Wash
#2 on the label · $0.83/oz
African Pride · Shampoo
Feel It Formula Strengthening Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.58/oz
Alterna Haircare · Shampoo
Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.44/oz
American Crew · Shampoo
Forming Pre-Styling Shampoo
#2 on the label · $2.02/oz
amika · Shampoo
Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.15/oz
amika · Shampoo
Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Strength Repair Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.15/oz
amika · Shampoo
Reset Clarifying Gel Shampoo
#2 on the label · $4.48/oz
amika · Shampoo
The Kure Strength Repair Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.07/oz
See all 464 products in the library that list Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- CAS 405313-95-3
- PubChem 23675778
- olefin sulfonate cleanser
- c14-16 olefin sulfonate
- c14-c16 alpha olefin sulfonate
- olefin sulfonate
- sodium (c14-16) olefin sulfonate
- sodium c 14-16 alpha olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-16 alpha olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-18 olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-c16 alpha olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-c16 olefin sulfonate
- sodium ci4-16 olefin sulfonate
- sodium olefin sulfonate
- sodium olefin-sulfonate
For your hair?
Whether Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 5th most-listed cleanser or emulsifier in our libraryWhat 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
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 23675778, CAS 405313-95-3, C14H29NaO3S · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 464 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.
