Database/Foam Boosting Surfactant/Palm Kernelamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Palm Kernelamide MEA natural?

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

INCI namePalm Kernelamide MEA
FunctionFoam Boosting Surfactant · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade by condensing fatty acids from palm (Elaeis…

How we scored it

Palm kernel fatty acid (avg MW~222, natural) minus OH = 205.4 Da; + monoethanolamine minus H (60.1 Da, petrochemical); 205.4/265.5 = 0.77
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 fatty acids from palm (Elaeis Guineensis) kernel oil with monoethanolamine, manufactured from ethylene oxide and ammonia. The fatty chain is natural; the ethanolamine portion is petrochemical.

In plain English

A foam-boosting ingredient made by combining fatty acids from palm kernel oil with monoethanolamine, a lab-made building block. Used in shampoos and washes to help control thickness and boost foam.

CosIng definition: Palm Kernelamide MEA is a mixture of ethanolamides of the fatty acids derived from Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil. It conforms generally to the formula, where RCO- represents the acyl groups derived from palm kernel oil.

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