Database/Foam Boosting Surfactant/Babassuamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Babassuamide MEA natural?

Mostly. The fatty-acid portion comes from babassu oil (lauric-dominant, overriding the mismatched C8 formula); ethanolamine is petrochemical, from ethylene oxide and ammonia.

INCI nameBabassuamide MEA
FunctionFoam Boosting Surfactant · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockThe fatty acid is derived from babassu palm…

How we scored it

Supplied C8/octanamide formula conflicts with the babassu (lauric-dominant) description; used lauroyl (183.3 Da) + MEA minus H (60.1 Da); 183.3/243.4 = 0.75.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

The fatty acid is derived from babassu palm kernel oil, condensed with ethanolamine (MEA) to form the amide; the supplied C8 formula appears to be a database mismatch given the babassu description. Ethanolamine itself is manufactured from petrochemical ethylene oxide and ammonia.

In plain English

A foam-boosting, conditioning ingredient made from babassu palm oil fatty acid combined with a synthetic amino-alcohol (MEA), used in cleansers and shampoos.

CosIng definition: Babassuoyl Monoethanolamine

Natural alternatives with the same function

References

  1. 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.
  2. 2BABASSUAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3BABASSUAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BABASSUAMIDE%20MEA