Database/Antistatic/Isostearamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Isostearamide MEA natural?

Mostly. Isostearic acid, an oleochemical branched fatty acid, supplies the chain; the MEA cap is petrochemical ethylene-oxide derived.

INCI nameIsostearamide MEA
CAS54536-43-5
FormulaC20H41NO2 · 327.5 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Foam Boosting Surfactant
FeedstockMade by condensing isostearic acid, derived from oleic…

How we scored it

Isostearoyl C18H35O (267, natural) + hydroxyethylamino C2H6NO (60, ethylene-oxide derived, petrochemical) = 327 -> 267/327.5 = 0.82.
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 by condensing isostearic acid, derived from oleic acid via oleochemical processing, with monoethanolamine, manufactured from petrochemical ethylene oxide and ammonia.

In plain English

A foam-boosting, thickening ingredient made from a branched oleochemical fatty acid joined to a small synthetic amino-alcohol. Used in cleansers to build creamy, stable foam.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Isostearamide MEA

N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-16-methylheptadecanamide

PubChem CID 9840373 ↗

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. 2Isostearamide MEA. PubChem CID 9840373. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOSTEARAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOSTEARAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOSTEARAMIDE%20MEA