The ingredient, explained

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

A published expert assessment examines cosmetic-use safety.

CleansingHair conditioningSurfactant

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Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

Fatty acids, coco, 2-sulfoethyl esters, sodium salts

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Cleansing: Helps remove material from the body surface.
Hair conditioning: Improves cosmetic hair properties such as softness, shine or combability.
Surfactant: Changes surface tension to help a product distribute or interact with other materials.

Function definitions: European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Safety assessment

The amended report includes sodium cocoyl isethionate and supports the described uses when the finished product is formulated to avoid irritation.

What this does not tell us

Some tested surfactant solutions caused irritation. The conditional 2017 conclusion supersedes the earlier 1993 conclusion and does not guarantee mildness of every cleanser.

Sources for this summary. DOI 10.1177/1091581816685552 ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Bounded targeted searches for the exact ingredient identity in primary research or final expert assessments, with selected-source verification. Not a systematic review.