Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate

Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate is a mild anionic surfactant used mainly in cleansers (often a few percent up to ~10%+) to provide foaming/cleansing with lower irritation than harsher sulfates. Clinical and practical patch/usage experience generally show good tolerability, but as a true cleansing surfactant it can still cause stinging or barrier dryness in eczema-prone or over-cleansed patients, especially in multi-surfactant formulas or frequent use. For patient safety in severe sensitivity, I score it as gentle but not “very gentle,” reflecting its low yet non-zero irritation potential. Safety Notes: Sodium caproyl methyltaurate is primarily used as a mild anionic surfactant/co-surfactant, so it appears at very low levels (~0.1–1%) in leave-on emulsions and micellar/cleansing waters for mildness or foam support, while most rinse-off facial/body cleansers and shampoos commonly use it in the ~2–10% range. High-foaming, sulfate-free consumer cleansers and shampoo bars/liquid concentrates can reach ~15–20% active surfactant levels where it serves as a principal surfactant in the system. No specific EU/FDA concentration limit applies; the upper end is practically constrained by irritation potential, viscosity/clarity targets, and overall surfactant active load rather than regulation.