A diethanolamide of palm kernel oil fatty acids, used as a foam booster and thickener and regulated in Annex III.
What it is
Palm kernelamide DEA is the N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl)amide of palm kernel oil fatty acids, a fatty acid diethanolamide. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying, emulsion-stabilising, foam-boosting, cleansing-surfactant and viscosity-controlling ingredient. In the EU it is covered by an entry in Annex III (substances subject to restrictions) that applies to fatty acid dialkanolamides.
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.
See the EU regulation section for the applicable limits and conditions.
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
- Maximum concentration
- Maximum secondary amine content: 0.5%
- As of
- 3 November 2026 · (EC) 2009/1223