There are two main types of surfactants - Oleochemical and Petrochemical. Oleochemical surfactants are produced from natural oils like palm oil and palm kernel oil as well as inedible tallow and are therefore often referred to as ‘natural surfactants’ Petrochemical surfactants, on the other hand, are produced from crude oil and therefore considered as ‘synthetic’. However the terms ‘natural’ and ‘synthetic’ are misleading and have caused confusion. Both types of surfactants are used and needed as base materials for detergents but neither of them is superior to the other in terms of environmental safety and friendliness.

Crude oil and vegetable oils are both natural substances, however, since complex chemical processes such as distillation, fractionation and hydrogenation are involved in producing surfactants. they must both be considered as synthetic!

When comparing the emission levels and the required energy for oleochemical and petrochemical surfactant production, petrochemical surfactants have proved to be far superior. LAS emissions totalled less than 184 kilograms (kg) for every 1,000 kg of product. Emissions from oleochemicals range from 278 to over 379 kg. Process and transportation energy costs for LAS are also much lower than those for oleochemical surfactants.

While it is true that crude oil is a non-renewable resource, only 0.04 % of current annual petroleum production is used for producing surfactants. However, if petrochemical surfactants were to be replaced entirely by oleochemical surfactants, it would necessitate significant increases in land usage, thereby resulting in further destruction of rainforests and other valuable habitats.