Introduction

Coco betaine is a derivative of cocoamide and glycine betaine. It is produced from coconut oil and another name for it in the market is cocamidopropyl betaine. The name itself reflects that the major part of the molecule is derived from coconut oil. Betaine, which is a pro-vitamine type nutrient, is obtained either from sugar beet molasses or prepared synthetically.

It is available as a viscous pale yellow solution, which is used as a surfactant in personal care products. It finds its use as a foam booster in shampoos as well as soaps. Cocamioproply betaine has replaced cocamide DEA largely due to its carcinogenic properties.

Its applications lie in a variety of detergent products. It is used as a foaming agent in shampoos, conditioners, soaps etc. Being a medium strength surfactant, it finds its application in bath products such as hand soaps. In cosmetics, it is used as an emulsifying agent, thickener and also used to reduce irritation that purely ionic surfactants would cause.

In hair conditioners, it serves as an antistatic agent. Its antiseptic properties make it suitable for use in personal sanitary products. Compatibility of cocamidopropyl betaine with other cationic, anionic and nonionic surfactants is high. As a surfactant, bath products have this as one of its ingredient as it gently cleanses the skin and hair by helping water mix with oil and dirt so that they can be washed out.

Its pH range contributes to its mild germicidal effect, which also makes it a very effective, yet mild cleansing agent for personal sanitary products. This ingredient is popularly found in shampoo, body wash, hair dye, cleanser, deodorant, liquid hand soap, anti-dandruff treatment, body scrubs/exfoliant, acne treatment and conditioners.

Betaine also finds its use in dietary and nutritional supplements and in sports and energy drinks to improve metabolic functions and enhance strength, power, and muscle endurance in athletes. It has osmolytic and hydration functionality and acts as a methyl donor; thus it is used as feed additive. The ingredients are regarded as safe and mild hence is replacing cocamide DEA to a very large extent.

The key factor that drives the market growth for this product is the fact that it is considered to be considerably eco friendly compared to other surfactants. Its mild and non toxic properties make the products that use it very popular among customers globally.

The Environment Canada Association after multiple testing of this ingredient conveys that the ingredient is non-persistent and non-accumulative in the environment hence making the product easily degradable. The product is said to be non-toxic to humans, however it did cause skin sensitization and irritation to some.

This is owing to the byproducts that are obtained, amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine which are known to cause skin irritation. This can be controlled if the byproducts obtained are low and tightly controlled. Coco betaine is classified as a low human health priority.

The main segments considered for the market of this product include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. In most parts Coco betaine is replacing Cocamide DEA which was an ingredient used as a surfactant in various products earlier due to is carcinogenic properties and bad effects on the environment. Betaine which is a growing market as of today is expected to increase due to its application in feed.

Animal husbandry is growing on a wide scale in developing countries of Asia Pacific. Currently it is being used worldwide in cosmetics, detergents, de-icers and reagents. Europe, specifically Germany is said to have the largest market for cosmetics and hence the market for coca betaine there is still mature and demand is expected to increase in the next few years.

North America was the second largest market as the key companies in this region widely used betaine in food industry and industrial products such as in cosmetics, detergents, soaps, and shampoos. The demand for this product in is expected to rise in India and China due to the increase in the growth of cosmetic, food and detergent industries.

The key companies profiled for this product are Aatous International Pvt. Ltd., Guangzhou Flower Song Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. among others.