An amphoteric betaine surfactant made from babassu oil fatty acids.
What it is
Babassuamidopropyl betaine is an amidopropyl betaine whose fatty acid part comes from babassu oil, the oil of the babassu palm kernel; it is an amphoteric surfactant of the same type as cocamidopropyl betaine. CosIng lists it as an antistatic, cleansing, foam-boosting, hair-conditioning, skin-conditioning, cleansing-surfactant and viscosity-controlling ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of cleansing products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
Functions
- Antistatic
- Preventing and/or reducing static electricity by neutralising electrical charge on surfaces.
- Cleansing
- Helping to keep the body surface clean.
- Surfactant – foam boosting
- Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilize foams in general.
- Hair conditioning
- Enhancing the appearance and feel of hair. Leaving the hair easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny and/or imparting volume, lightness, gloss, texture, etc.
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
- Surfactant – cleansing
- Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
- Viscosity controlling
- Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.

