Database/Antistatic/Dimethyl Stearamine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Dimethyl Stearamine natural?

Mostly. The C18 chain comes from oleochemical stearic acid or stearyl alcohol, while the dimethylamino group comes from petrochemical dimethylamine (methanol and ammonia).

INCI nameDimethyl Stearamine
CAS124-28-7
FormulaC20H43N · 297.6 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockDominant route: stearic acid is converted to the…

How we scored it

Stearyl C18H37 253.5 natural (oleochemical); N(CH3)2 44.1 from dimethylamine (methanol + ammonia), petrochemical. Total 297.6; 253.5/297.6 = 0.85.
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

Dominant route: stearic acid is converted to the nitrile and amine, or stearyl alcohol is aminated, then methylated with dimethylamine or methanol. Supplier note: the stearyl chain is assumed oleochemical; a synthetic-alcohol chain is possible, so confirm the grade.

In plain English

A fatty amine used to condition hair, reduce static and help emulsify products. Its 18-carbon stearyl chain comes from vegetable oil or animal fat, and its dimethylamino group is made synthetically from methanol and ammonia.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…

 Alanine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…

 Arginine 100% natural origin

An amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…

 Asparagine 100% natural origin

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…

 Aspartic Acid 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…

 Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural origin

Collagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…

Structure

2D structure of Dimethyl Stearamine

N,N-dimethyloctadecan-1-amine

PubChem CID 15365 ↗

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. 2Dimethyl Stearamine. PubChem CID 15365. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIMETHYL STEARAMINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIMETHYL STEARAMINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIMETHYL%20STEARAMINE