Laneth-15 is ethoxylated lanolin alcohol with 15 moles of ethylene oxide, a nonionic surface active agent with a remarkable blend of branched-chain alcohols and sterols. Due to these natural skin-moisturizing lipids, this ingredient possesses significant emollience. It is a waxy, soft solid with a faint, pleasant odor and a pH range of 3.5-5.5.
Laneth-15 is a valuable and versatile emulsifier with an HLB value of 12.7. As it is more hydrophilic, it is used as an oil-in-water emulsifier, wetting aid, dispersing agent, and plasticizer. It is also an excellent solubilizer, gelling agent, and emulsion stabilizer and offers tremendous benefits in producing microemulsions and hair relaxers.
Laneth-15 is remarkably efficient in producing microemulsion without compromising gel aesthetics or mildness. The resultant gel has a honey-like consistency, interesting rheology, outstanding clarity, and exceptional emollience and is, in fact, quite elegant.
Laneth-15 can be used alone or with other ingredients to modify the gel's softness, solids content, or spreadability and, thus, facilitate its production. One of its essential functions is as an emulsifier and emulsion stabilizer for high pH systems. Because there is no ester linkage in the lanolin alcohol ethoxylate structure, there is no risk of hydrolysis, making the material extremely useful as an emulsion stabilizer for hair relaxers and permanent waves.Given the complex structure it derives from lanolin alcohol, Laneth-15 can be especially effective in solubilizing "multi-component" ingredients like perfumes and can solubilize many oils that are not ordinarily miscible. In this latter case, however, it functions more as a co-solvent.
Laneth-15 can also be used as a perfume solubilizer for clear antiperspirants thickened with gums and as a wetting agent for aluminum chlorhydroxide solutions. It is also helpful in emulsifying branched fatty moieties and provides better thickening effects than most other ethoxylated alcohols.
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