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
- 200
- of researched products
- 5%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #2
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
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 it is repelled rather than attracted, rinses away cleanly, and is the charge most detergents carry.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone — it does not accumulate 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
186 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Conditioner
4 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: mousse
4 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Co-wash
3 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Styler: volumizer
2 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Scalp treatment
1 product
|
leading · #2 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 186 | 23% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Conditioner | 4 | 1% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: mousse | 4 | 3% | 29 | 21 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 3 | 3% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: volumizer | 2 | 3% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Scalp treatment | 1 | 1% | 2 | 2 | leading |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed 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 | 219 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 15 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 2 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 3 |
| 26+ | Trace | 6 |
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
Conditional formulation guidance, scoped to a hair condition and to the positions where it is meaningful. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, and not a conclusion 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 this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- 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 by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — 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 label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, 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
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 172
- Sodium Chloride · 98
- Sodium Hydroxide · 92
- Glycol Distearate · 91
- Polyquaternium-10 · 88
- Polyquaternium-7 · 74
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 64
- Disodium EDTA · 48
- Benzoic Acid · 47
- Benzyl Alcohol · 46
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.
Camille Rose · Shampoo
Coconut Water Curl Cleanse
#1 on the label · $1.10/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 · Conditioner
Forget Frizz Anti-Frizz Conditioner
#2 on the label · $2.63/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
amika · Conditioner
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Conditioner
#2 on the label · $3.26/oz
amika · Shampoo
The Protector Color Protect + Strengthen Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.26/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
1000 Roses Complex Color Care Shampoo
#2 on the label · $1.65/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Exotic Marula Oil Silky Smooth Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.96/oz
See all 200 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
- sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate
- sodium c14-18 olefin sulfonate
- sodium olefin sulfonate
For your hair?
Whether Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 7th 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 is read 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 — 200 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- 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; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-02. Product-page methodology: the product library.