The triethanolamine salt of palmitic acid, used as a cleansing agent and emulsifier and regulated in Annex III.
What it is
TEA-palmitate is tris(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium palmitate, the salt formed from triethanolamine and palmitic acid, a kind of soap. CosIng lists it as a cleansing ingredient, an emulsifying surfactant and a cleansing surfactant. In the EU it is covered by an entry in Annex III (substances subject to restrictions) for leave-on and rinse-off products.
Where it is used
Found in cleansers, shaving products and creams.
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. The INCI name does not reveal whether the palmitic acid comes from plant or other sources.
Functions
- Cleansing
- Helping to keep the body surface clean.
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- 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).
EU regulation
- Product type
- (a) Leave-on products (b) Rinse-off products
- Maximum concentration
- (a) 2.5%
- As of
- 3 November 2026 · (EC) 2009/1223