Database/Antistatic/Lactamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Lactamide MEA natural?

Mostly. Lactic acid is fermentation-derived; the ethanolamine part comes from petrochemical ethylene oxide and natural-gas ammonia.

INCI nameLactamide MEA
CAS5422-34-4
FormulaC5H11NO3 · 133.15 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockDominant route: fermentation lactic acid (from corn or…

How we scored it

C5H11NO3, 133.15 Da: lactoyl C3H5O2 73.07 (fermentation lactic acid) natural; NH-CH2CH2-OH C2H6NO 60.07 (ethylene oxide plus ammonia) petrochemical. 73.07 / 133.15 = 0.55.
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: fermentation lactic acid (from corn or sugar) reacted with monoethanolamine to form the amide. Lactic acid made petrochemically via lactonitrile is a small minority.

In plain English

A water-loving amide formed from lactic acid and ethanolamine. It attracts moisture and conditions hair and skin as a humectant. The lactic acid part is made by fermenting sugars; the ethanolamine part is petrochemical.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Asparagine 100% natural origin

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Structure

2D structure of Lactamide MEA

2-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)propanamide

PubChem CID 95457 ↗

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. 2Lactamide MEA. PubChem CID 95457. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LACTAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LACTAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LACTAMIDE%20MEA