Sodium c12-18 alkyl sulfates (inci)

"Sodium ..." refers to the element sodium, "alkyl" describes in general terms the part of a molecule which consists of carbon and hydrogen atoms connected to each other. 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-C18) of the alkyl group. "Sulfates" are salts/esters of sulfuric acid

Sodium C12-18 alkyl SEC sulfate acts as an emulsifier (enables the formation of finely dispersed mixtures of oil and water), foaming agent (forms foam by entrapping air or other gases in a liquid) and as a surfactant (washing-active substance/improves the even distribution of the products during application).