Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Palm Kernelamide DEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Palm Kernelamide DEA natural?

Mostly. Fatty acyl chain (mainly lauric/myristic) comes from palm kernel oil (natural); diethanolamine is a petrochemical ethylene-oxide-derived amine.

INCI namePalm Kernelamide DEA
CAS73807-15-5
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Emulsion Stabilising
FeedstockMade by condensing mixed fatty acids from palm…

How we scored it

Palm kernel fatty acid (avg MW~222, natural) minus OH = 205.4 Da; + diethanolamine minus H (104.1 Da, petrochemical); 205.4/309.5 = 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

Made by condensing mixed fatty acids from palm kernel oil (mostly lauric and myristic acid) with diethanolamine, manufactured from ethylene oxide and ammonia. The fatty chain is natural; the diethanolamine portion is petrochemical.

In plain English

A foam-boosting and thickening ingredient made by combining fatty acids from palm kernel oil with diethanolamine, a lab-made building block. Used in shampoos and washes to stabilise foam and adjust thickness.

CosIng definition: Amides, palm kernel-oil, N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2PALM KERNELAMIDE DEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PALM KERNELAMIDE DEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PALM%20KERNELAMIDE%20DEA