What it is
Potassium laurate is an anionic soap-type surfactant formed by neutralizing lauric acid with potassium hydroxide. In formulas it can serve as an emulsifier that stabilizes oil-and-water mixtures and, in cleansing products, contributes to foaming and removal of oils. Because it is a soap, it works best in neutral-to-alkaline formulas.
Safety & warnings
Soap-type surfactants like potassium laurate can be drying or mildly irritating at high levels or low dilution, especially in alkaline formulas; at the low levels used as an emulsifier in leave-on products this is much less of a concern. It is not a recognized fragrance allergen.
Origin & sourcing
Synthetic salt made by neutralizing lauric acid, which is typically derived from coconut or palm kernel oil, with a potassium base.
Questions everyone asks
Is potassium laurate a soap?
Yes. It is the potassium salt of lauric acid, making it a soap-type anionic surfactant used for emulsifying and, in some products, cleansing.
Why is it in a sunscreen?
In a sunscreen it most often acts as an emulsifier, helping keep the oil and water phases blended into a stable lotion.