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Co

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Amphoteric co-surfactant from coconut. Often paired with sulfates to keep cleansing power up while reducing irritation.

What it does

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a workhorse secondary surfactant. By itself it's a mild cleanser; in a formula it boosts foam, thickens viscosity, and softens the irritant profile of a primary surfactant like SLS or SLES. It's coconut-derived but heavily processed. CAPB is occasionally an allergen — usually due to residual byproducts (DMAPA, amidoamine) from manufacturing, which has improved over the years.

The evidence, graded

moderateCommon sensitivity and contact-allergy triggers in skincare include fragrance (the most-cited cosmetic allergen), essential oils, denatured alcohol, and certain preservatives (methylisothiazolinone, formaldehyde-releasers). Patch test new products on the inner forearm for 48–72 hours before face-wide use.Warshaw 2020 · Dermatitis ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

capb

Pairs worth knowing

Decyl Glucoside · works together ↗Coco Glucoside · works together ↗Glycerin · works together ↗Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) · works together ↗

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