Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-2 Cocamide
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is PEG-2 Cocamide natural?

Mostly. Coco fatty acid is natural; only light ethoxylation, so petrochemical mass stays small.

INCI namePEG-2 Cocamide
CAS68425-44-5
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Foam Boosting Surfactant
FeedstockMade by lightly ethoxylating coconut-fatty-acid monoethanolamide with around…

How we scored it

Lauroyl 183 Da natural + ethanolamine core 60 Da + 1 EO unit 44 Da petrochemical; 183/287 = 0.64.
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 lightly ethoxylating coconut-fatty-acid monoethanolamide with around 1 mole of ethylene oxide per mole. Coconut oil supplies the fatty acid; ethanolamine and ethylene oxide are petrochemical.

In plain English

A mild cleansing and foam-boosting ingredient made from coconut fatty acid, ethanolamine, and a small amount of ethylene oxide. Used in cleansers and shampoos.

CosIng definition: Amides, coco alkyl, N-(hydroxyethyl), ethoxylated (1 mol EO average molar ratio)

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