Database/Antistatic/Stearamide MEA
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Stearamide MEA natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid chain is oleochemical (vegetable oil or tallow derived); monoethanolamine, the amide partner, is petrochemical.

INCI nameStearamide MEA
CAS111-57-9
FormulaC20H41NO2 · 327.5 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Foam Boosting Surfactant
FeedstockMade by amidating stearic acid (from vegetable oil…

How we scored it

Stearoyl C18H35O 267 Da (natural, oleochemical) + monoethanolamine C2H6NO 60 Da (petrochemical, ethylene oxide). 267/327=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 amidating stearic acid (from vegetable oil or tallow) with monoethanolamine, produced from ethylene oxide and ammonia. Both are single dominant routes.

In plain English

Stearamide MEA is a thickener and foam stabiliser used in cleansers, combining a common fatty acid with a small synthetic component made from ethylene oxide.

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Structure

2D structure of Stearamide MEA

N-(2-hydroxyethyl)octadecanamide

PubChem CID 27902 ↗

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. 2Stearamide MEA. PubChem CID 27902. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3STEARAMIDE MEA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4STEARAMIDE MEA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARAMIDE%20MEA