Tea-c10-14 alkyl benzenesulfonates (inci)

"TEA" is the acronym for triethanolamine, a quaternary ammonium compound. Triethanolamine reacts easily with fatty acids to form triethanolamine soaps and is used as a basic component in soaps and other cosmetic products. In general, "alkyl" describes the part of a molecule that consists of interconnected carbon and hydrogen atoms. The simplest alkyl group is the methyl group -CH3 or the ethyl group -CH2-CH3 etc. The prefixed numbers "C x-y" represent the range of carbon chain lengths (here C12-C15) of the alkyl group. "Benzenesulphonates" are benzol ester compounds of sulphonic acids (R-SO2-OH).

TEA-C10-14 alkyl benzenesulfonates are substances which are used in cosmetic formulations where they act as surfactants (washing-active substance; improves the even distribution of the products during application).