Tea-lauroyl glutamate (inci)

"TEA" is the acronym for triethanolamine, a quaternary ammonium compound. Triethanolamine reacts easily with fatty acids to form triethanolamine soaps and is used as a basic component in soaps and other cosmetic products. The name component "lauroyl" means that the ingredient contains lauric acid (dodecanoic acid) as fatty acid component. Glutamates are salts or esters of glutamic acid (2-aminopentanedioic acid, an amino acid).

TEA-lauroyl glutamate is a substance which is used in cosmetic formulations where it acts as a surfactant (washing-active substance; improves the even distribution of the products during application) and hair conditioning agent (makes the hair easy to comb, smooth, soft and shiny and gives it volume).