Is sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate made from coconut?
No. Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate is made from ethylene, which is to say from petroleum. Of the common shampoo cleansers, it is the one whose manufacture has nothing to do with coconut or palm.
It is the main cleanser in many “sulfate-free” shampoos. The rest of the bottle still needs reading: these shampoos often add cocamidopropyl betaine or another coconut-derived cleanser next to it.
On a label: sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate · c14-16 olefin sulfonate · olefin sulfonate · olefin sulfonato
Products we checked that contain it
3 of the 115 products in the registry. Each one read off the packet by a person, with the date.
Contains coconut (3)
- Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub (124 ml) · NeutrogenaContains Cocamidopropyl Betaine, CocamidopropylChecked September 2026
- Semi di Lino Moisture Nutritive Shampoo · Alfaparf MilanoContains Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocoate, CocoChecked September 2026
- Vitamin-E Ultra Repair & Strength Shampoo (355 ml) · KativaContains Cocamidopropyl BetaineChecked September 2026
Whether this matters for you depends on which kind of coconut allergy you have →
Check a label for this and everything else →
Reactions to refined derivatives vary from person to person. This list helps you ask better questions; your allergist decides what you avoid. Educational only, not medical advice. Always confirm with your allergist.