Myristamine oxide is an
amine oxide
In chemistry, an amine oxide, also known as an amine ''N''-oxide or simply ''N''-oxide, is a chemical compound that has the chemical formula . It contains a nitrogen-oxygen coordinate covalent bond with three additional hydrogen and/or substitue ...
based
zwitterionic surfactant with a C
14 (tetradecyl) alkyl tail. It is used as a foam stabilizer and hair conditioning agent in some
shampoo
Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. (" Dry shampoo" is a separate product.) Shampoo is use ...
s and
conditioners. Like other amine oxide based surfactants it is
antimicrobial
An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic agent). Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they are used to treat. For example, antibiotics are used aga ...
, being slightly more effective than
lauryldimethylamine oxide against the common bacteria ''S. aureus'' and ''E. coli''.
See also
*
Lauryldimethylamine oxide – An analogous compound with a C
12 tail
References
Amine oxides
Cosmetics chemicals
Surfactants
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