What it is
In the register’s words: “beta-Alanine, N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-[2-(2-carboxyethoxy)ethyl]-, N-coco acyl derivs., disodium salts.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIPROPIONATE
- CAS number
- 68411-57-4
- EC number
- 270-131-8
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Hair conditioning
-
The register’s hair role for ingredients that make hair feel softer, smoother or easier to comb. Most conditioners, masks and leave-ins list several.
Register definition: “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.”
- Cleansing
-
The register’s general role for ingredients that help clean, from washing ingredients to some plant extracts.
Register definition: “Helping to keep the body surface clean.”
- Foam-boosting surfactant
-
Makes a shampoo foam more or keeps the foam from collapsing. Foam on its own says nothing about how clean hair gets.
Register definition: “Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilize foams in general.”
- Hydrotropic surfactant
-
Helps another washing ingredient dissolve in water, so a clear shampoo stays clear.
Register definition: “Enhancing the water solubility of another surfactant.”
- Cleansing surfactant
-
The washing ingredients: they let water lift oil, product and dirt off hair and scalp. Shampoos list them near the top; some conditioners hold a little.
Register definition: “Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).”
- Skin conditioning
-
The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.
Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Shampoos 3 labels First five names: 2 of 3 Shampoos without it
Every label, product by product (3)
- tgin Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo Shampoo 2nd of 24 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Shampoo Shampoo 5th of 27 names
- The Doux SUCKA FREE Moisturizing Shampoo Shampoo 6th of 23 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other hair conditioning ingredients on these labels
- Glycerin 131 labels
- Panthenol 72 labels
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil 69 labels
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate 38 labels
- Caprylyl Glycol 37 labels
- Behentrimonium Chloride 34 labels
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine 34 labels
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil 34 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.