INCI name

COCAMIDE DEA

Cocamide DEA

Surfactant – emulsifying Emulsion stabilising Surfactant – foam boosting Surfactant – cleansing Viscosity controllingreviewed

A foam booster and thickener from coconut fatty acids.

What it is

Cocamide DEA is made by reacting coconut fatty acids with diethanolamine. It boosts foam and thickens cleansing products.

Where it is used

Shampoos, shower gels and liquid soaps.

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.

Because diethanolamides can contain secondary amines, Annex III of the EU regulation sets conditions to limit nitrosamine formation; see the EU regulation section.

Functions

Surfactant – emulsifying: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
Emulsion stabilising: Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
Surfactant – foam boosting: Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilize foams in general.
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

EU · Annex III, entry 60Fatty acid dialkylamides and dialkanolamides

Maximum concentration: Maximum secondary amine content: 0.5%
As of: 3 November 2026 · (EC) 2009/1223

Products with this ingredient (93)

Check a full ingredient list