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Moumoujus

BABASSUAMIDE MEA.

Valuable / HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

A refined, multifunctional surfactant derived from the fatty acids of the Amazonian Babassu palm. It serves as a high-performance foam stabilizer and viscosity enhancer, bridging the gap between deep cleansing and lipid-preserving skin conditioning.

Summary

Surfactant Cleansing Agent Viscosity Controlling Foam Boosting Conditioning

Science

Mechanism of Action

As an amphiphilic molecule, it lowers the interfacial tension of water to lift impurities while restructuring micellar formations within a formula to increase thickness. Its specific fatty acid chain length, inherited from Babassu oil, provides a secondary conditioning effect that helps mitigate the potential harshness of stronger cleansing agents.

Research

Clinical Evidence

High confidence
Effective range 0.5–18%
Optimal

5%

Key findings

  1. 01 Safety assessments by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) indicate that ethanolamides like Babassuamide MEA are non-sensitizing. Clinical patch tests revealed that even at a 50% concentration in petrolatum, the ingredient remained non-irritating, though 5% aqueous solutions may show very mild, transient irritation.

Transparency

Dusting Analysis

Not commonly dusted
Min. effective
0.5%
Red flag below
0.1%

Because it primarily serves as a functional texture and foam modifier, it is rarely 'dusted' for marketing claims; its presence usually indicates a deliberate formulation choice for viscosity or lather quality.

The Formula

Formulation

Solubility
Both
Optimal pH 3.5 – 12
0 7 14

Stability

Highly stable across a broad pH spectrum, though formulated strictly above pH 3.5 in precision skincare to prevent the degradation of the amide structure.

Synergies

  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Conflicts

  • Nitrosating agents
  • Sodium Nitrite
  • Nitrates
  • Specific formaldehyde donors

Safety

Safety Profile

CIR Status
Safe as used
Max tested
18%
Pregnancy
Safe
Sensitization risk Low

Compliant with EU Annex III, ensuring secondary amine content is below 0.5% and nitrosamine levels are under 50 µg/kg to prevent the formation of N-nitroso compounds.

Your Skin

Skin Compatibility

Yes Normal
Yes Dry
Yes Oily
Yes Sensitive
Irritancy Low
Comedogenicity Low

Our Assessment

Verdict

Valuable

An excellent functional ingredient for achieving sophisticated foam architecture and skin-friendly viscosity in rinse-off systems.

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