Betaine in skincare
A water-soluble substance that can be made from sources including sugar beet.
What is betaine?
A water-soluble substance that can be made from sources including sugar beet. On the ingredient list, you can find the name Betaine. The dictionary uses both the common name and the INCI name, so you can compare the explanation with the packaging.
What does betaine do for skin and the product?
Used as a humectant and to improve skin feel.
Humectants work with water in the skin's stratum corneum. They are often combined with lipids that make the surface supple and limit moisture loss. These are different tasks within the same moisturising care.
Betaine is not the same as the cleansing ingredient cocamidopropyl betaine.
How to read the ingredient list
Look at the product's purpose and overall composition. Position on the list does not tell you the exact concentration used or how your skin will react. One substance can serve several purposes in the same product.
Questions about betaine
What does betaine do in skincare?
Used as a humectant and to improve skin feel.
What should I know about betaine?
Betaine is not the same as the cleansing ingredient cocamidopropyl betaine.
Related ingredients
About sources and ingredient names
The European Commission's CosIng database is a reference for cosmetic ingredient names and functions. An entry does not constitute approval of all uses or evidence of a particular product effect.
DermNet: functions of moisturising care · DermNet: cosmetic formulations