TEA-Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids are a modified form of keratin amino acids that have been combined with triethanolamine (TEA) lauroyl to enhance their solubility and effectiveness in cosmetic formulations. This modification improves the ability of the amino acids to penetrate hair and skin, providing conditioning, moisturizing, and repairing benefits. TEA-Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids are particularly effective in hair care products, helping to strengthen and improve the overall texture while also offering additional benefits for skin care.

Chemical Composition and Structure

TEA-Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids include:

• Amino Acids: Essential amino acids such as cysteine, methionine, and lysine that are critical for keratin synthesis and maintaining hair and skin health.
• Lauroyl Group: Derived from lauric acid, this fatty acid enhances the emollient properties of the amino acids and aids in their absorption into hair and skin.
• TEA: Triethanolamine that improves the stability and solubility of the formulation, making the amino acids more effective.

The combination of keratin amino acids and TEA-lauroyl allows for effective nourishment and strengthening of hair and skin.

Physical Properties

• Appearance: Typically a clear to light yellow liquid.

• Solubility: Highly soluble in water due to the modification with TEA-lauroyl, making it easy to incorporate into various formulations.

• pH: Generally neutral to slightly acidic, around 5-7, suitable for hair and skin applications.

• Odor: Usually mild or slightly fatty.

• Stability: Stable under normal storage conditions; should be kept away from excessive heat and moisture.

Production Process

1. Source Extraction: TEA-Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids are derived from natural keratin sources, such as hair, feathers, or hooves.

2. Hydrolysis: The keratin undergoes hydrolysis using enzymes or acids to break it down into smaller peptides and amino acids.

3. Modification: The hydrolyzed keratin is then reacted with TEA-lauroyl to enhance solubility and conditioning properties.

4. Purification: The product is purified to remove impurities and ensure high quality.

5. Formulation: Purified TEA-Lauroyl Keratin Amino Acids are incorporated into various cosmetic products to enhance their conditioning and protective properties.

Applications

• Medical: Occasionally used in topical formulations for their soothing and nourishing effects on the skin.

• Cosmetics: Commonly found in shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and skin care products for their moisturizing, strengthening, and repairing benefits. They improve the overall health and appearance of hair and skin.

INCI Functions:

Antistatic agent. Static electricity build-up has a direct influence on products and causes electrostatic adsorption. The antistatic ingredient reduces static build-up and surface resistivity on the surface of the skin and hair.

Cleansing agent. Ingredient that cleanses skin without exploiting the surface-active properties that produce a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum. 

Hair conditioning agent. A large number of ingredients with specific purposes can co-exist in a hair shampoo: cleansers, conditioners, thickeners, mattifying agents, sequestering agents, fragrances, preservatives, special additives. However, the indispensable ingredients are the cleansers and conditioners as they are necessary and sufficient for hair cleansing and manageability. The others act as commercial and non-essential auxiliaries such as: appearance, fragrance, colouring, etc. Hair conditioning agents have the task of increasing shine, manageability and volume, and reducing static electricity, especially after treatments such as colouring, ironing, waving, drying and brushing. They are, in practice, dispersing agents that may contain cationic surfactants, thickeners, emollients, polymers. The typology of hair conditioners includes: intensive conditioners, instant conditioners, thickening conditioners, drying conditioners.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Surfactant - Cleansing agent. Cosmetic products used to cleanse the skin utilise the surface-active action that produces a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum, facilitating the removal of dirt and impurities. 

Cosmetic Safety

It is a restricted ingredient as III/62  a Relevant Item in the Annexes of the European Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. 

Substance or ingredient reported: Trialkylamines, trialkanolamines and their salts. "Do not use with nitrosating systems - Minimum purity: 99% - Maximum secondary amine content: 0.5% (applies to raw materials) - Maximum nitrosamine content: 50 microgram/kg - Keep in nitrite-free containers"