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 contains the functional group , a nitrogen-oxygen coordinate covalent bond with three additional hydrogen and/or substituent-grou ...
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 Viscosity, viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product ...
s and
conditioners. Like other amine oxide based surfactants it is
antimicrobial
An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals ar ...
, being slightly more effective than
lauryldimethylamine oxide
Lauryldimethylamine oxide (LDAO), also known as dodecyldimethylamine oxide (DDAO), is an amine oxide based zwitterionic surfactant, with a C12 (dodecyl) alkyl tail. It is one of the most frequently-used surfactants of this type. Like other amine ...
against the common bacteria ''S. aureus'' and ''E. coli''.
See also
*
Lauryldimethylamine oxide
Lauryldimethylamine oxide (LDAO), also known as dodecyldimethylamine oxide (DDAO), is an amine oxide based zwitterionic surfactant, with a C12 (dodecyl) alkyl tail. It is one of the most frequently-used surfactants of this type. Like other amine ...
– An analogous compound with a C
12 tail
References
Amine oxides
Cosmetics chemicals
Surfactants
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