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
- 557
- of researched products
- 14%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #3
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
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 — it does not accumulate 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
464 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Styler: mousse
38 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Co-wash
20 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Leave-in
10 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Conditioner
9 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Scalp treatment
5 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Mask / treatment
4 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Styler: volumizer
4 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: gel
2 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: paste
1 product
|
supporting · #8 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 464 | 56% | 3 | 2 | leading |
| Styler: mousse | 38 | 27% | 7 | 2 | supporting |
| Co-wash | 20 | 20% | 6 | 2 | supporting |
| Leave-in | 10 | 2% | 15 | 3 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 9 | 1% | 11 | 3 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 5 | 3% | 5 | 3 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 4 | 1% | 19 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 4 | 6% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 2 | 1% | 15 | 11 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 1 | 1% | 8 | 8 | supporting |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed 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 | 316 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 263 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 41 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 28 |
| 26+ | Trace | 14 |
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
Conditional formulation guidance, scoped to a hair condition and to the positions where it is meaningful. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, and not a conclusion 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 this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- 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 by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — 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 label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, 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
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Sodium Chloride · 335
- Glycol Distearate · 227
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 214
- Polyquaternium-10 · 202
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate · 172
- Sodium Hydroxide · 171
- Disodium EDTA · 148
- Benzyl Alcohol · 140
- Polyquaternium-7 · 124
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 120
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, soften the strand, and improve feel after rinsing.
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
Andalou Naturals · Shampoo
Argan Oil & Shea Moisture Rich Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.91/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
Aphogee · Shampoo
Keratin & Green Tea Shampoo
#2 on the label · $0.79/oz
See all 557 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
- cocamidopropyl 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 is read 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 — 557 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- 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; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-02. Product-page methodology: the product library.