Azelamide MEA is a chemical compound, ethanolamide of azelaic acid. Ethanolamides consist of carboxylic acid and amides.

MEA (2-aminoethanol) or Monoethanolamine belongs to the first generation of ethanolamines, is a primary amine and is a strongly alkaline agent, corrosion inhibitor and chemical intermediate.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Azelamide is a derivative of azelaic acid, known for its skin-beneficial properties such as reducing inflammation and antimicrobial effect. It is often used in skincare products to treat conditions like acne and rosacea.
• MEA  stands for Monoethanolamine, an organic compound used as a buffering agent and to regulate pH in cosmetic formulations. It helps maintain product stability and improves skin compatibility.

What it is used for and where

Cosmetics

Surfactant - Foam booster. Its function is to introduce gas bubbles into the water for a purely aesthetic factor, which does not affect the cleaning process, but only satisfies the commercial aspect of the detergent by helping to spread the detergent on the hair. This helps in the commercial success of a shampoo formulation. Since sebum has an inhibiting action on the bubble, more foam is produced in the second shampoo.

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. 

Viscosity Enhancing Agent - aqueous. Since viscosity is important for increasing the chemical and physical stability of the product, Viscosity Enhancing Agent acqueous is an important dosage factor in gels, suspensions, emulsions, solutions. Increasing viscosity makes formulations less sedimentary and more homogeneously thickened.

CAS  242132-61-2

Safety. 

MEA should not be included in products formulated as aerosols and in products containing N-nitroso. Scientific literature agrees that MEA can penetrate and absorb into the skin and cause skin irritation, particularly on the scalp.