Coco Betaine
Reviewed by Emma · Last updated 4 Jun 2026
Surfactant derived from coconut oil
At a glance
EWG Safety Score
What Is Coco Betaine?
Coco betaine is a surface-active agent (also known as a surfactant) derived from coconut oil. It’s useful in skin care and hair care products due to its cleansing and foaming abilities. In hair care specifically, it’s valuable because of its anti-static properties.\n\nThe independent Cosmetic Ingredient Review has ruled coco betaine safe as used in cosmetics, where tests found it gentle and non-irritating.\n\nThough coco betaine shares some properties with the similarly named cocoamidapropyl betaine, they are not the same ingredient. Cocamidopropyl betaine is considered milder and is synthetic, while coco-betaine is natural.
Clinical Evidence & References
Published Research
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BazEkon, 2011, pages 148-158, ePublication BazEkon, 2011
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UL Prospector (supplier), Accessed December 2022, ePublication UL Prospector (supplier), 2022
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Cosmetic Ingredient Review, April 4, 2014, pages 2-23 Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 2014
How widely it's used
Regulatory information
Standardised cosmetic-ingredient identifiers used by regulators.
Show identifiers
- INCI Name
- COCO-BETAINE
- EC Number
- 270-329-4/931-700-2
- Function
- Antistatic, Cleansing, Foam Boosting, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant, Viscosity Controlling
From the Clinic
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Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Gentle cleansing ingredient used in face and body washes | Can be naturally derived or synthetic
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Mild cleansing agent derived from coconut oil | Boosts lather and helps thicken skin care formulas
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
A coconut-derived surfactant that cleanses and conditions in hair and body formulations
Coco-Glucoside
Mixture of a fatty alcohol from coconut oil and the sugar glucose
Coco-Glucoside and Decyl Glucoside
Gentle plant-derived cleansing agents
Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
A conditioning agent derived from wheat protein, used to improve texture and manageability
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