Ingredient guide ›

Laureth 4

A cleansing helper.

What it does

A surfactant that helps oils and water mix. It helps shampoos and body washes clean and spread.

Good to know

Part of the PEG family. A safety review found PEG ingredients cause little irritation and rarely trigger allergy on healthy skin. Most reported reactions involved broken or inflamed skin.

Often found in: Shampoos, Shower gels, Anti-dandruff shampoos

Around the world

• United States: No FDA limit. The FDA doesn't approve cosmetic ingredients before sale. Source
• EU and UK: No special limit in the EU or UK. Source
• Canada: Not on Health Canada's Hotlist of restricted ingredients. Source
• Australia: No limit in Australia's Poisons Standard. Source

Sources

• Safety assessment on polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and their derivatives as used in cosmetic products (Toxicology, 2005) (Independent)
• CIR: Safety Assessment of Alkyl PEG Ethers as Used in Cosmetics (2012) (Industry-funded)