Database/Antistatic/Myristyl Betaine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Myristyl Betaine natural?

Mostly. Myristyl chain from coconut or palm kernel oil is natural; the nitrogen, N-methyl groups and acetate arm are petrochemical (dimethylamine, chloroacetate).

INCI nameMyristyl Betaine
CAS2601-33-4
FormulaC18H37NO2 · 299.5 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Cleansing
FeedstockMyristyl dimethylamine, made from coconut or palm kernel…

How we scored it

Myristyl C14H29 197.4 natural; N(CH3)2 44.1 plus CH2COO 58.0 = 102.1 petrochemical (amines, chloroacetate); 197.4 / 299.5 = 0.66.
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

Myristyl dimethylamine, made from coconut or palm kernel myristyl alcohol or acid, is quaternised with sodium chloroacetate. Ziegler myristyl alcohol is a possible petrochemical alternative (supplier note).

In plain English

A betaine-type surfactant that foams and conditions in cleansers and shampoos. Its C14 fatty chain comes from coconut or palm kernel oil; the head group is made from petrochemicals.

CosIng definition: (Carboxylatomethyl)dimethyltetradecylammonium

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Structure

2D structure of Myristyl Betaine

2-[dimethyl(tetradecyl)azaniumyl]acetate

PubChem CID 64672 ↗

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. 2Myristyl Betaine. PubChem CID 64672. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MYRISTYL BETAINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MYRISTYL BETAINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MYRISTYL%20BETAINE