How we scored it
Where it comes from
Dominant route: monoethanolamine (ethylene oxide and ammonia) acylated with acetic acid or an acetate ester. Acetic acid for chemical use is overwhelmingly from methanol carbonylation; fermentation acetic acid is negligible.
In plain English
A small, water-loving amide used as a humectant and conditioning agent, helping hair and skin hold moisture and feel softer. It is made by reacting ethanolamine with acetic acid.
CosIng definition: Acetamide MEA is the aliphatic amide that conforms to the formula:
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Structure
N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acetamide
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2Acetamide MEA. PubChem CID 8880. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3ACETAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4ACETAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ACETAMIDE%20MEA