Database/Antistatic/Cocamidoethyl Betaine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Cocamidoethyl Betaine natural?

Mostly. The coconut fatty acid chain is natural; the ethylenediamine-derived betaine backbone and chloroacetate cap are petrochemical.

INCI nameCocamidoethyl Betaine
FunctionAntistatic · Cleansing
FeedstockMade by reacting coconut fatty acid with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine,…

How we scored it

Coco acyl (lauroyl-type) fragment C12H23O ~183 Da natural + aminoethyl carboxymethyl-betaine backbone (ethylenediamine + chloroacetate, synthetic) ~145 Da; 183/328=0.56.
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

Made by reacting coconut fatty acid with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine, then quaternising with sodium chloroacetate. The coco acyl chain is oleochemical; the amine and chloroacetate are petrochemical.

In plain English

A mild, coconut-derived cleansing and foam-boosting ingredient used in shampoos and washes. The coconut fatty part is natural, joined to a lab-made amino-acid-like backbone.

CosIng definition: 1-Ethanaminium, N-(carboxymethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-[(1-oxococoalkyl)amino]-, hydroxides, inner salt

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