Cocamidopropyl betaine is an organic compound derived from coconut oil that you can find in many of your “natural” or “organic” skincare and hair care products. CAPB is created by mixing raw coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, creating what is known as an amphoteric surfactant. This compound can act as an acid or a base depending on its surroundings. When used in shampoos and soaps, it creates a thick lather. When used in conditioner, it becomes an anti-static agent. 

Benefits of Cocamidopropyl Betaine for Skin

Cocamidopropyl betaine is versatile enough to be featured across many different skincare products, but it does have a few common purposes that make it so popular.

It’s cleansing: Since it binds to dirt, it’s great for ridding the skin of oil and grime picked up from the day. It’s also good at removing makeup. 

It’s hydrating: Being derived from coconuts, cocamidopropyl betaine is very hydrating. In fact, Hu says it’s much more hydrating than most other ingredients that are used as surfactants. 

It’s gentle: Since it cleans the skin by lathering up and bonding to the impurities, it’s super gentle on the skin. 

It can be used daily: This is definitely a product that you’ll want to integrate into your daily routine if you’re not using it already. It’s great at removing impurities that build up as a result of makeup or environmental pollutants. 

It’s great as a pre-moisturizing wash: If you’re looking for a body wash that’s gentle on your skin, this is the way to go. It sets a perfect base for any post-shower moisturizers.

Side Effects

While cocamidopropyl betaine has a slew of benefits, one downside is that it can be problematic for people with acne-prone skin. 

“Since CAPB is very effective when it comes to removing the impurities from the skin, if your skin is acne-prone, it can potentially react by overcompensating and producing sebum that blocks pores and results in breakouts,” says Hu. 

Since there are two main irritation culprits that pop up during production, make sure you spot-test to see if your skin reacts to them. If your reaction is mild, you can probably just invest in higher-quality products if you don’t want to avoid the ingredient entirely. You can also look into coco betaine, which isn’t synthetically derived.