Ingredients Dictionary: Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine is one of the leading 'replacements' for silicones in conditioners (For Tresemme Naturals fans - this is the lead surfactant in your conditioner). I placed the word replacements in quotes because it is not always strictly a replacement, sometimes it is added in conjuction with a silicone as happens with Herbal Essences (so in short, do not think that seeing it on the ingredient list means that the conditioner is silicone free).
Anyway, here are its properties!
| STEARAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE |
|
Property
|
Notes
|
| What is it? | A cationic surfactant (a positively charged surfactant) |
| Where is it derived from? | Vegetable oil (rapeseed) |
| Is it water soluble? | Yes |
| ACTION IN HAIR CONDITIONER |
|
| What does stearamidopropyl dimethylamine do in shampoo and conditioner? | As it is a surfactant it can to some extent help blend the oil and water components of conditioner. |
| How much is added to conditioner? | Typically conditioner contains less than 5% stearamidopropyldimethylamine |
| Is it a major component of hair conditioner? | It is usually within the top 5 ingredients if present in a conditioner |
| ACTION ON HAIR |
|
| Does stearamidopropyl dimethylamine do anything to hair itself | 1. It binds (adsorbs) to the surface of hair 2. Its positive charge helps correct the negative charge from shampooing. 3. It gives slip to hair without causing excessive build up because it is water soluble unlike oils or silicone 4. It helps to smooth the cuticle and prevent static build up (flyaways!). |
| Does it penetrate hair? | It is not known to. |
| Is it better than silicone for detangling and slip? | Not necessarily. Some people may find a silicone free conditioner with stearamidopropyl dimethylamine good enough but others will not. It is up to the consumer (i.e you) to test it. |
Sources
Cosmetics and Toiletries Manufacture Worldwide, 271–276, 2000.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 32, 246–257, 2010.
Good to know...what is that blue Herbal Essence jar?
ReplyDeleteIt is a dye. If you read through the ingredients you will spot it listed as CI 42090 or Brilliant Blue
ReplyDeleteThe blue jar is Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Mask, I think. It's available in the UK, but I didn't see it on the US website, so I don't think they sell it in the States.
ReplyDeleteStumbled across your blog last week and just wanted to tell you it's great. Excellent information, and not just for Type 4 folks but even a Type 2 like me. My only regret is that my university doesn't subscribe to most of the cosmetics journals, or I'd be reading the primary literature myself. ~CR
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch!
ReplyDeleteI think Anon 22:47 means what type of product is the blue Herbal Essence Jar in the picture?
ReplyDeleteT is right it is a mask or deep conditioner....oops sorry didn't read the question correctly.
ReplyDeleteCR - Many articles in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science have open access (this one I listed is free!). The Journal of Cosmetic Science is also open access
Okay, JC.I'm one o those people who have just recently fallen in love with Tresemme Naturals. You say that it is a surfactant. Now I read that link on surfactants and you used SLS as your main example, which is notoriuos for stripping hair of its natural oils blah blah and should generally be avoided as per word on the hair forums.
ReplyDeleteMy question is: Are all surfactants bad? Is it such a bad thing to banish my Tresemme just because it contains a chemical that helps bind water and oil?
Surfactants are the reason why conditioners work. The difference between SLS and the type of surfactants found in conditioner is size. SLS is small and therefore efficient at cleaning while in conditioner large surfactants do much less cleaning and more depositing.
ReplyDeleteThere are very few (possibly none) conditioners which would not have a surfactant.
Great post! Keep em coming! Don't think I could learn this by myself...
ReplyDeleteI am all about my Herbal Essence - hello hydration!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. Very informative. I WOULD try the Herbal Essences but I'm so in love with the products I already use. Hmm...who knows? Maybe I'll try it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIf they're Open Access, I really need to kick Citation Linker to the curb. Awful library software! Thanks for the information -- I'll be reading (and maybe getting a login for Blogspot). ~CR
ReplyDeleteJC, so is this ingredient considered natural? Is is good for the hair? Also I get confused when surfactant are put in conditioners.
ReplyDeletenaturally derived (i.e some lab processing required to convert natural oil into the final ingredient)
DeleteThis site is a great tool thanks for putting this up.
ReplyDeleteI wonder does Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine prevent water and moisture from reaching the hair? Does it build up like other cones and require a sulphate shampoo to remove?
It is water soluble so it does not build up like some silicones.
DeleteHi! Thanks for the good info! Random question, is this an amine? I'm trying to figure out if it would clash with DMDM hydantoin to make a carcinogenic nitrosamine. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes it is an amine and you can tell from the name stearamidopropyl dimethylAMINE. It is really quite unlikely to form a nitrosamine as its chemical activity is quite low. You would typically need a nitrite to create a nitrosamine.
DeleteWhoa, really? Thanks a bunch. How do I recognize nitrites? And are nitrosamines that bad, or do we just know that if rats eat their weight in them bad things happen? I'm sort of clueless!
DeleteMy hair seems to love this conditioning agent. It's a main ingredient in both products I use - Suave Naturals Conditioners (certain ones) and GVP Reconstructing Conditioner. It's also in Mane 'n Tail. I'm curious what other conditioners contain it?
ReplyDeleteDoes this contain gluten? Is it the same as "stearyl dimoniun hidroxipropyl"? Please answer asap, I got a very-sensitive-to-gluten princess in search of an inocuos hair conditioner. Thanks!
ReplyDelete