SODIUM COCOYL ALANINATE
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate is an alanine-derived surfactant. Its chemical description covers sodium salts of N-coco-acyl alanine derivatives, so it is a family associated with fatty chains described as cocoyl rather than one single, fixed molecule.
SODIUM COCOYL ALANINATE: what it is
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate is an alanine-derived surfactant. Its chemical description covers sodium salts of N-coco-acyl alanine derivatives, so it is a family associated with fatty chains described as cocoyl rather than one single, fixed molecule.
Cocoyl does not mean that the cosmetic contains pure coconut oil. The term identifies the fatty portion used to make the derivative, while alaninate identifies the alanine-related part. Together, those parts give the ingredient a structure that can sit between water and oil, which is the defining feature of a surfactant.
SODIUM COCOYL ALANINATE: what it does in cosmetics
In shampoos, liquid cleansers, and other rinse-off products, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate helps water spread through oily material and lift oil and soil so they can be rinsed away. That cleansing action—not a skin-treatment effect—is why it can be included in a formula.
It is also listed for hair conditioning, a role concerned with how hair feels and behaves during washing. One study measured Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate at oil, water, and sand interfaces for oil recovery; it supports surfactant behavior in that non-cosmetic system, but did not assess hair, skin, or topical cosmetic benefits.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
