Database/Antistatic/Hydroxyethyl Cetyldimonium Phosphate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxyethyl Cetyldimonium Phosphate natural?

Mostly. The long cetyl fatty chain (oleochemical) and phosphate (mineral) are natural; the dimethylamino quaternising group and hydroxyethyl group are petrochemical.

INCI nameHydroxyethyl Cetyldimonium Phosphate
CAS85563-48-0
FormulaC20H46NO5P · 411.6 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockCetyl alcohol (coconut/palm-derived fatty alcohol) is reacted with…

How we scored it

Cetyl C16H33 (225Da, natural) + phosphate H2PO4 (97Da, natural) = 322; N(CH3)2 + hydroxyethyl (44+45=89Da, petrochemical) → 322/411 ≈ 0.78 (structure estimated, no formula given).
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

Cetyl alcohol (coconut/palm-derived fatty alcohol) is reacted with a synthetic dimethylamino-hydroxyethyl quaternising agent and phosphoric acid. The fatty tail is the dominant natural fragment.

In plain English

A conditioning ingredient built from a fatty (cetyl) chain attached to a phosphate group and a small synthetic quaternary ammonium unit. Used in hair conditioners for its antistatic effect.

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Structure

2D structure of Hydroxyethyl Cetyldimonium Phosphate

dihydrogen phosphate;hexadecyl-(2-hydroxyethyl)-dimethylazanium

PubChem CID 10237859 ↗

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. 2Hydroxyethyl Cetyldimonium Phosphate. PubChem CID 10237859. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HYDROXYETHYL CETYLDIMONIUM PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HYDROXYETHYL CETYLDIMONIUM PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYETHYL%20CETYLDIMONIUM%20PHOSPHATE