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Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate in skincare
Coconut-derived anionic surfactant; key ingredient in gentle syndet bars; much gentler than SLS/SLES.
Used in rinse-off cleansers, solid bars, and syndets for AM and PM cleansing. The gentlest of the anionic surfactants. Safe for twice-daily use on sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Suitable for solid bar cleansers and syndet formulations where SLS/SLES would be too harsh.
What it is
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI, Baby Foam) is an anionic surfactant derived from coconut fatty acids and isethionic acid. Despite being anionic like SLS, its molecular structure (the isethionate head group) fundamentally changes its interaction with skin proteins. It does not denature skin proteins or strip lipids to the same degree as SLS. Produces a dense, creamy lather. The primary surfactant in gentle syndet (synthetic detergent) bar cleansers that have skin-equivalent or near-neutral pH and are compatible with sensitive/eczema-prone skin. Isoelectric point close to skin pH reduces protein denaturation. CIR Expert Panel confirmed it is safe as used in rinse-off products. Very low comedogenicity. Biodegradable. Used at 10–50% in syndet bar formulations, 2–10% in liquid cleansers.
The facts
| Category | Anionic Surfactant (Gentle) |
| Typical use | Morning and evening |
| Concentration YARAI treats as a full dose | 50% |
Why the amount matters, not just the presence
Most ingredient checkers tell you whether something is in the bottle. That is a smaller question than it sounds. Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate at 50% and sodium cocoyl isethionate at a trace level are not the same ingredient in any way that affects your skin.
An ingredient list is ordered by quantity, so position carries real information. YARAI reads that position and scores accordingly, which is why the same ingredient can land differently in two different products.
The honest limit: a list gives order, not percentages. Estimating concentration from position is an estimate. It is a better estimate than ignoring position, and it is still an estimate. We would rather tell you that than let a number look more certain than it is.
Common questions
What does sodium cocoyl isethionate do in a skincare product?
Coconut-derived anionic surfactant; key ingredient in gentle syndet bars; much gentler than SLS/SLES.
How much sodium cocoyl isethionate should a product contain?
YARAI treats 50% as a full dose for this ingredient. Below that, the ingredient is present but is scored as contributing less. An ingredient list gives you the order of ingredients, not their percentages, so this is an estimate read from position rather than a measurement.
When should I use sodium cocoyl isethionate?
Used in rinse-off cleansers, solid bars, and syndets for AM and PM cleansing. The gentlest of the anionic surfactants. Safe for twice-daily use on sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Suitable for solid bar cleansers and syndet formulations where SLS/SLES would be too harsh.
Check your own products
Point your camera at a product. YARAI identifies it from the label, finds that product's full ingredient list from published sources, and scores it. No barcode and no box needed, which is how it handles imported and small-brand products.
Concern level, category and thresholds on this page are read directly from the same data the YARAI app scores with, so this page and the app cannot disagree. EU figures cite Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Last built 2026-09-09. Nothing here is medical advice.