Cocamide DEA is a colorless liquid used in cosmetics and personal care products such as bath oil, shampoo, conditioner, and hair dye. It is also used in some pet-care and household-cleaning products.
Cocamide DEA (Cocamide Diethanolamine) is a foaming agent that is used in skin care and hair care products like shampoos and hand soaps. It is used in cosmetic products as an emulsifying agent that helps keep the formulations stable and prevents the ingredients from separating. Further, it is a surfactant which means that it reduces the surface tension between different compounds. The chemical formula of Cocamide DEA is CH3(CH2)nC(=O)N(CH2CH2OH)2.
COCAMIDE DEA used for?
Cocamide DEA is used in skin care and hair care products as a foaming agent. It also helps keep the ingredients together and results in a more stable formulation.
- Skin care: Cocamide DEA enables both oil and water to be mixed in evenly and also increases the foaming capacity of products like bubble baths
- Hair care: Conditioners and shampoos with Cocamide DEA have the ability to trap any oil-based dirt on hair and rinse it off. It is also a thickener and improves the texture of products
Origin
Cocamide DEA is a viscous and amber-colored liquid that is made by reacting the fatty acids obtained from coconut oil with a chemical called ethanolamine. The natural fatty acids are chemically altered to result in this foaming agent.
COCAMIDE DEA do in a formulation?
- Emulsifying
- Emulsion stabilising
- Foam boosting
- Surfactant
Safety Profile of COCAMIDE DEA
Cocamide DEA is halal and was declared safe to be used in rinse-off products at a concentration of less than 10%. However, the use of this ingredient has reduced over the years. This is because prolonged and heavy use of Cocamide DEA has been linked to cancer. Even in small quantities, it can have some side effects like itching. Further, this ingredient should be avoided in products containing nitrosating agents as they can react and become potentially harmful.
