Database/Antistatic/Palmitamidopropyl Betaine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Palmitamidopropyl Betaine natural?

Mostly. Palmitic acid chain from palm oil is natural; the propyl-betaine head group derives from petrochemical DMAPA and sodium chloroacetate.

INCI namePalmitamidopropyl Betaine
CAS32954-43-1
FormulaC23H46N2O3 · 398.6 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Cleansing
FeedstockMade by amidating palm-derived palmitic acid with dimethylaminopropylamine,…

How we scored it

Palmitoyl C16H31O (239.4 Da, natural) / total C23H46N2O3 (398.6 Da); remaining amidopropyl-dimethyl-acetate head (159.2 Da) from DMAPA + chloroacetate is petrochemical. 239.4/398.6=0.60.
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 amidating palm-derived palmitic acid with dimethylaminopropylamine, then reacting with sodium chloroacetate to form the betaine. The fatty chain is oleochemical; the amine and acetate head are synthetic.

In plain English

A foaming and conditioning surfactant made by combining palmitic acid, a fatty acid from palm oil, with a synthetic amine building block. Used in shampoos and cleansers to boost foam and reduce static.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Palmitamidopropyl Betaine

2-[3-(hexadecanoylamino)propyl-dimethylazaniumyl]acetate

PubChem CID 72096 ↗

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. 2Palmitamidopropyl Betaine. PubChem CID 72096. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PALMITAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PALMITAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PALMITAMIDOPROPYL%20BETAINE