CLEANSER
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- cleanser
A mild coconut-derived co-cleanser that boosts foam and softens the effect of stronger detergents. It appears in most shampoos, gentle or not.
- products in our library
- 1233
- of researched products
- 18%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #3
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How much oil it strips, as a class.
The foam the class is known for, not a measured volume.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Cleansing strength | Very gentle | 2 of 5 |
| Lather | Soft | 3 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Cocamidopropyl Betaine does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A betaine-type surfactant, paired with an anionic to lower irritation and build foam.
Added alongside a stronger detergent to build foam and take the edge off it.
A milder detergent class, used where a formula avoids sulfates.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Charge
Carries a positive or a negative charge depending on the pH around it, which is why amphoteric ingredients are used to soften harsher cleansers.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
1052 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: mousse
66 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Scalp treatment
26 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Conditioner
21 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Co-wash
19 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Mask / treatment
12 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Leave-in
11 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: volumizer
8 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Heat protectant
3 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Dry shampoo
2 products
|
supporting · #4 |
10 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
secondary · #21 | |
Styler: gel
2 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: lotion
2 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Finisher: oil
1 product
|
leading · #2 | |
Finisher: serum
1 product
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: hairspray
1 product
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: paste
1 product
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
secondary · #30 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
1 product
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: texture spray
1 product
|
secondary · #9 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 1052 | 68% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: mousse | 66 | 33% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Scalp treatment | 26 | 9% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Conditioner | 21 | 2% | 13 | 3 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 19 | 19% | 6 | 2 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 12 | 2% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Leave-in | 11 | 2% | 15 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 8 | 6% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 3 | 1% | 7 | 6 | supporting |
| Dry shampoo | 2 | 2% | 4 | 4 | supporting |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 6% | 21 | 14 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 2 | 1% | 15 | 11 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 2 | 6% | 6 | 5 | supporting |
| Finisher: oil | 1 | 0% | 2 | 2 | leading |
| Finisher: serum | 1 | 1% | 7 | 7 | supporting |
| Styler: hairspray | 1 | 0% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 1 | 1% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 3% | 30 | 30 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 1 | 1% | 18 | 18 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 1 | 1% | 9 | 9 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 642 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 464 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 68 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 40 |
| 26+ | Trace | 19 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
Among the mildest detergents in use — it is what baby shampoos are built on — but it is almost always the second detergent in a formula. How much a wash strips is still decided by the primary detergent listed above it.
The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
Rows marked “researched” were read for this ingredient and cited below; the rest are read from its chemical class.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- the mildest cleansing
- a formula built for daily washing
- a milder feel from a cleanser blend
- foam without a harsher detergent
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a primary amphoteric cleanser near the top of the ingredient list in our shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that the product cannot clean properly
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Sodium Chloride · 740
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 506
- Glycol Distearate · 479
- Polyquaternium-10 · 407
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate · 391
- Sodium Hydroxide · 354
- Benzyl Alcohol · 321
- Disodium EDTA · 304
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 299
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate · 271
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to keep the formula stable, improve feel after rinsing, and soften the strand.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Acure · Shampoo
Curiously Clarifying Shampoo
#2 on the label · $1.20/oz
Acure · Shampoo
Daily Workout Shampoo with Watermelon & Blood Orange
#2 on the label · $0.94/oz
Acure · Shampoo
Simply Smoothing Shampoo
#2 on the label · $1.17/oz
Acure · Shampoo
Vivacious Volume Shampoo
#2 on the label · $1.17/oz
African Pride · Shampoo
Shea Miracle Sulfate Free Detangling Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.75/oz
Alterna Haircare · Shampoo
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume Shampoo
#2 on the label · $4.12/oz
Alterna Haircare · Shampoo
Caviar Anti-Aging Clinical Densifying Shampoo
#2 on the label · $3.90/oz
amika · Scalp treatment
Reset Pink Charcoal Scalp Cleansing Oil
#2 on the label · $4.93/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Argan Oil & Shea Moisture Rich Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.96/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Argan Stem Cell Age Defying Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.96/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Lavender & Biotin Full Volume Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.96/oz
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.96/oz
See all 1233 products in the library that list Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cocamidiopropyl betaine
- cocamidopropyl betaine
- cocamidopropyl betane
- cocamidopropylbetaine
- cocamidrpropyl betaine
For your hair?
Whether Cocamidopropyl Betaine matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 1st most-listed cleanser or emulsifier in our libraryWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory Indian Journal of Dermatology : D'Souza & Rathi (2015) place amphoteric detergents among the mildest cleansers in use and identify them as the basis of baby shampoos; they are typically paired with a primary detergent rather than used alone. · accessed 2026-08-30
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 1233 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
