Cocamide is a mixture of amide

Amide

In chemistry, an amide is an organic compound that contains the functional group consisting of a carbonyl group linked to a nitrogen atom . The term refers both to a class of compounds and a functional group within those compounds. The term amide also refers to deprotonated form of ammonia or an...

s of the fatty acid

Fatty acid

In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...

s obtained from coconut oil

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...

. As coconut oil contains about 50% of lauric acid

Lauric acid

Lauric acid , the saturated fatty acid with a 12-carbon atom chain, is a white, powdery solid with a faint odor of bay oil or soap.-Occurrence:...

, in formulas only the 12-carbon chains tend to be considered. Therefore the formula of cocamide can be written as ₃(CH₂)₁₀CH₂, though the number of carbon atoms in the chains varies (it is always even).

Cocamide is the structural basis of many surfactant

Surfactant

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...

s. Common are ethanolamines (cocamide MEA

Cocamide MEA

Cocamide MEA, or cocamide monoethanolamine, is a solid, off-white to tan compound, often sold in flaked form. The solid melts to yield a pale yellow viscous clear to amber liquid...

, cocamide DEA

Cocamide DEA

Cocamide DEA, or cocamide diethanolamine, is a diethanolamide made by reacting the mixture of fatty acids from coconut oils with diethanolamine. It is a viscous liquid and is used as a foaming agent in bath products like shampoos and hand soaps, and in cosmetics as an emulsifying agent. See...

), or betaine compounds (cocamidopropyl betaine

Cocamidopropyl betaine

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a synthetic surfactant derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. It is a zwitterionic chemical compound with a quaternary ammonium cation...

).