Database/Cleansing/Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate natural?

Mostly. Fatty chain is palmitic acid (natural); sarcosine head group is usually made by chemical synthesis from methylamine and chloroacetic acid, not fermentation.

INCI nameSodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
CAS4028-10-8
FormulaC19H36NNaO3 · 349.5 Da
FunctionCleansing · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockMade by condensing palmitic acid, a fatty acid…

How we scored it

Palmitoyl (C16 oleochemical) acyl C16H31O 239.4 Da + Na 23.0 Da = 262.4 Da natural; sarcosinate organic backbone C3H5NO2 87.1 Da (methylamine+chloroacetate synthesis) petrochemical. 262.4/349.5 = 0.75.
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 palmitic acid, a fatty acid from palm or coconut oil, with sarcosine, an amino-acid derivative typically manufactured from synthetic methylamine and chloroacetic acid. A minor fermentation route to sarcosine exists but is not dominant.

In plain English

A mild cleansing surfactant made by combining palmitic acid, a fatty acid from palm or coconut oil, with sarcosine, a small nitrogen-containing compound usually made by chemical synthesis. Used in shampoos, toothpaste and cleansers to produce foam.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate

sodium 2-[hexadecanoyl(methyl)amino]acetate

PubChem CID 23681905 ↗

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. 2Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate. PubChem CID 23681905. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM PALMITOYL SARCOSINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM PALMITOYL SARCOSINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20PALMITOYL%20SARCOSINATE