Database/Emollient/Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA natural?

Mostly. Palmitoyl groups come from palm or coconut oil; the ethanolamine units (ethylene oxide, ammonia) and the 2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl bridge (epichlorohydrin from propylene) are petrochemical.

INCI nameHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA
CAS211184-47-3
FormulaC39H78N2O5 · 655.0 Da
FunctionEmollient
FeedstockPalmitic acid or its methyl ester is amidated…

How we scored it

C39H78N2O5 655.1 Da: two palmitoyl C16H31O 478.8 natural; two N-hydroxyethylamine units and hydroxypropane bridge 176.2 petrochemical; 478.8 / 655.1 = 0.73.
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

Palmitic acid or its methyl ester is amidated with a bis(hydroxyethylamino)propanol made from ethanolamine and epichlorohydrin. Glycerol-based epichlorohydrin would raise the value but is not assumed.

In plain English

A ceramide-like lipid made from palmitic acid, ethanolamine and a three-carbon linker, used to soften skin. The palmitic acid comes from palm or coconut oil; the amine and linker are made from petrochemical raw materials.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA

N-[3-[hexadecanoyl(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-hydroxypropyl]-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)hexadecanamide

PubChem CID 11193108 ↗

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. 2Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA. PubChem CID 11193108. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYPROPYL%20BISPALMITAMIDE%20MEA