Database/Antistatic/Ricinoleamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Ricinoleamide MEA natural?

Mostly. Fatty chain is castor-oil ricinoleic acid (natural); monoethanolamine head group is petrochemical, from ethylene oxide plus ammonia.

INCI nameRicinoleamide MEA
CAS106-16-1
FormulaC20H39NO3 · 341.5 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Foam Boosting Surfactant
FeedstockMade by reacting castor oil-derived ricinoleic acid with…

How we scored it

Ricinoleic acid (castor oil) acyl C18H33O2 281.5 Da + monoethanolamine residue C2H6NO 60.1 Da (minus water) = 341.5 Da. 281.5/341.5 = 0.82.
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 reacting castor oil-derived ricinoleic acid with monoethanolamine, a synthetic amine produced from ethylene oxide and ammonia. No significant alternative route exists.

In plain English

A foam-boosting, antistatic and thickening ingredient made from castor oil fatty acid combined with a lab-made compound (monoethanolamine). Used in shampoos and cleansers.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…

 Alanine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…

 Arginine 100% natural origin

An amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…

 Asparagine 100% natural origin

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…

 Aspartic Acid 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…

 Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural origin

Collagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…

Structure

2D structure of Ricinoleamide MEA

(Z,12R)-12-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)octadec-9-enamide

PubChem CID 20838731 ↗

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. 2Ricinoleamide MEA. PubChem CID 20838731. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3RICINOLEAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4RICINOLEAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=RICINOLEAMIDE%20MEA