Ingredient

Sucrose Cocoate

A gentle, sugar-derived ingredient made by esterifying sucrose (table sugar) with the fatty acids of coconut oil.

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Good to know

Fungal-acne trigger
Can feed Malassezia yeast — a trigger for fungal acne (pityrosporum folliculitis) in people prone to it.

What it does

limited evidence

It is a mild non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier — it helps oil and water mix and can lend mild cleansing — and it doubles as a skin-conditioning, antistatic agent. Because it is sugar- and coconut-derived and non-ionic, it is valued for being mild, which makes it a popular choice in cleansers and leave-on products aimed at sensitive skin.

Benefits

Gentle emulsifier and mild surfactant suitable for low-irritation formulas
Skin-conditioning, helping leave skin feeling soft and moisturised
Antistatic, useful in hair and skin products
Sugar- and coconut-derived, fitting naturally-positioned formulations

Side effects

Regarded as mild and well tolerated by most skin
As with any coconut-derived ingredient, a rare individual sensitivity is possible
A formulation/conditioning ingredient rather than an active with treatment claims