Database/Antistatic/Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride natural?

Mostly. The two stearic acid esters are oleochemical and the chloride is a mineral counter-ion, so both count as natural origin. Only the dialkanolamine core and the methyl group added during quaternisation are petrochemical.

INCI nameDistearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
CAS67846-68-8
FormulaC42H84ClNO4 · 702.6 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockA cationic esterquat made by esterifying stearic acid,…

How we scored it

The supplied formula C42H84ClNO4 weighs 702.59 Da. Natural origin is the two stearoyl ester groups (2 x C18H35O = 534.96 Da) plus the chloride counter-ion (35.45 Da) = 570.41 Da, against a petrochemical dialkanolamine core and quaternising methyl of 132.18 Da. So 570.41/702.59 = 0.81.
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

A cationic esterquat made by esterifying stearic acid, from vegetable oil or tallow, onto a dialkanolamine core, then quaternising with a methylating agent to give the chloride salt.

In plain English

A conditioning ingredient built from two stearic acid (fatty acid) chains attached to a small synthetic ammonium building block. Used in hair conditioners to reduce static and make hair easier to comb.

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Structure

2D structure of Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride

dimethyl-bis(2-octadecanoyloxyethyl)azanium chloride

PubChem CID 105818 ↗

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. 2Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride. PubChem CID 105818. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DISTEAROYLETHYL DIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DISTEAROYLETHYL DIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DISTEAROYLETHYL%20DIMONIUM%20CHLORIDE