This article was taken from the August 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Each month Wired's chemist Dr John Emsley deconstructs an everyday product. He is author of 110 research papers and ten books, including his most recent: A Healthy, Wealthy, Sustainable World (Royal Society of Chemistry)
INGREDIENTS
•Sodium laureth sulfate •Lauramidopropyl betaine •Cocamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloride phosphate •Laureth-4 •Pentylene glycol
•Hexylene glycol •Styrene acrcopolymer •PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil •Trideceth-9 •Polyquaternium-39 •Glycerin •Sodium benzoate
•Phenoxyethanol •Methylparaben •Ethylparaben •Butylparaben
•Propylparaben •Isobutylparaben •Aqua •Lactic acid •Parfum •Sine adipe lac •Trideceth-9 •Tetrasodium EDTA •Sodium chloride •Hexyl cinnamal •Limoneneylate copolymer •PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil
•Trideceth-9
SURFACTANTS
Surfactants remove dirt by solubilising grease - their molecules have oil-attracting tails that penetrate it, and water-attracting heads that drag it into the water. Carex's surfactants are made of coconut oil and lather well.
EMULSIFIERS
These prevent the oil- and water- based ingredients - pentylene glycol and hexylene glycol - from separating. They consist of five- and six-carbon chains, including styrene acrylate copolymer, which is used in photocopiers.
MOISTURISERS
These remove your skin's protective layer of natural oil and replace it with polyquaternium-39, a positively charged polymer.
Glycerin, which keeps the skin moist, is used in cough linctus and liqueurs to make them syrupy.
ANTIBACTERIALS
Hands are a common conduit for disease, so antibacterial agents sodium benzoate and phenoxyethanol are added. To prevent germs breeding in the Carex ingredients themselves, various other antimicrobial agents are added.
LACTIC ACID
Lactic acid controls pH and is also used in medical drips, beer brewing and limescale removers.
SINE ADIPE LAC
Latin for "without fat milk", this is a fancy way of saying skimmed milk (animal unspecified)
TETRASODIUM
This counteracts hard water by keeping calcium ions soluble.
It's often used in detergents.
HEXYL CINNAMAL
Also known as hexyl cinnamaldehyde and C15H20O, this commonly used aroma smells of camomile.
LIMONENE
Limonene is a hydrocarbon present in orange peel, from which it is extracted.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
