Database/Cleansing/Cocoyl Sarcosine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Cocoyl Sarcosine natural?

Mostly. Coco fatty acid is natural; the sarcosine (N-methylglycine) portion is made from petrochemical chloroacetic acid and methylamine.

INCI nameCocoyl Sarcosine
CAS68411-97-2
FunctionCleansing · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockMade from coconut fatty acids condensed with sarcosine,…

How we scored it

Supplied formula (C3H7NO2, plain sarcosine) contradicts the CosIng description (N-coco acyl sarcosine, an amide); used the description. Coco acyl ~183 (natural) + sarcosine backbone ~88 (petrochemical) -> ~0.68.
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 from coconut fatty acids condensed with sarcosine, industrially produced from chloroacetic acid and methylamine. CosIng describes this as the N-coco acyl derivative, not the free amino acid the supplied formula suggests.

In plain English

A mild cleansing surfactant made from coconut fatty acid joined to a small amino-acid-like molecule. Used in shampoos and cleansers for gentle foam and mildness.

CosIng definition: Glycine, N-methyl-, N-coco acyl derivs.

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