What Is Tea-Canolate?
Tea-Canolate is a surfactant made when the fatty acids from canola oil are reacted with triethanolamine. The result is a mild, skin-friendly compound that dissolves in water and oil, letting it lift away dirt and excess sebum with ease. Canola oil has long been valued in food and skincare for its gentle profile, and chemists began pairing it with triethanolamine in the late twentieth century to create a plant-based alternative to harsher synthetic cleansers. Production is straightforward: canola oil is first split into its individual fatty acids, then these acids are carefully blended with triethanolamine under controlled heat and pH until the mixture turns into Tea-Canolate.
You will most often spot Tea-Canolate in face and body washes, foaming cleansers, liquid hand soaps, bubble baths, shaving creams, lightweight moisturizers and even some clay or sheet masks where a gentle cleansing boost is needed.
Tea-Canolate’s Cosmetic Benefits/Uses
Here is how Tea-Canolate helps a formula perform at its best
- Cleansing: Attracts oil and grime so they can be rinsed away, leaving skin feeling fresh without a tight after-feel
- Foaming: Produces a rich, stable lather that makes products more enjoyable to use and helps spread the cleanser evenly across the skin
- Emulsifying: Keeps water and oil mixed together, preventing products from separating on the shelf and ensuring each pump or scoop delivers the right balance of ingredients
Who Can Use Tea-Canolate
Thanks to its gentle cleansing action Tea-Canolate suits most skin types, including normal, oily, combination and even sensitive skin that dislikes harsher sulfates. Very dry or compromised skin may prefer a formula buffered with extra moisturizers because any surfactant, even a mild one, can lift away some natural oils.
The ingredient is sourced from canola oil and triethanolamine, neither of which come from animals, so it is considered vegan and vegetarian friendly. Of course formulas also need to be free of other animal-derived additives before the finished product can be called fully vegan.
Current safety data shows no special restrictions for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding when Tea-Canolate is used as directed in rinse-off or leave-on products. This is not medical advice and anyone who is expecting or nursing should show the full ingredient list to a qualified health professional before adding a new product to their routine.
Tea-Canolate does not absorb UV light or make skin more reactive to the sun, so it is not known to cause photosensitivity. It is also fragrance-free and dye-free which lowers the chance of scent or color related issues.
Potential Side Effects/Adverse Reactions
Reactions to topical Tea-Canolate vary from person to person. The points below list potential side effects although most users will not experience them when the ingredient is used properly in a well-formulated product.
- Mild skin irritation: A tight or itchy feel can occur if the product is left on the skin too long or rinsed poorly
- Eye stinging: Like many cleansers it can cause discomfort if it gets into the eyes
- Dryness or flaking: Over-cleansing may strip natural oils leading to transient dryness especially in colder weather
- Allergic contact dermatitis: Rare cases of redness bumps or swelling may appear in individuals allergic to canola fatty acids or triethanolamine
If any unexpected reaction develops stop using the product and seek advice from a pharmacist or doctor.
Comedogenic Rating
Rating: 1 out of 5
Tea-Canolate is highly water-soluble so it rinses off the skin rather than lingering in pores. While it is made from canola fatty acids, the salt formed with triethanolamine changes the oil into a cleanser that does not behave like a heavy plant oil. Published data and user reports show little tendency to clog pores, which is why it sits near the bottom of the scale.
This low score means Tea-Canolate is generally fine for acne-prone or breakout-prone skin types.
Because it is usually used in rinse-off formulas any brief residue is further reduced, lowering pore-clogging risk even more.
Summary
Tea-Canolate is a plant-based surfactant that lifts away dirt, oil and makeup while creating a soft foam and keeping water and oil evenly mixed. It does this by combining the oily part of canola with a water-loving base, giving it the split personality needed to grab grime and wash it down the drain.
You will not see it in every cleanser on the shelf but many brands that favor gentler or more natural-leaning formulas choose Tea-Canolate over harsher sulfates.
Current studies and decades of cosmetic use point to a solid safety profile with few reactions when products are used as directed. As with any new skincare ingredient it is wise to do a quick patch test before full use just to be safe.