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Ingredient register

Diethanolamine and DEA Amides

Limit Carcinogen Cosmetics and personal care

Decode Label flags Diethanolamine and DEA Amides as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care (carcinogen). It appears in 2 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.2%).

The concern

Can form nitrosamines - IARC possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B)

Diethanolamine and the cocamide and lauramide DEA surfactants made from it can react with nitrite-type compounds to form nitrosamines, many of which are carcinogens. The EU safety committee treats secondary alkanolamines such as diethanolamine as not to be used in cosmetics, and limits the secondary-amine content of the related amide ingredients to 0.5 percent, with a nitrosamine ceiling of 50 micrograms per kilogram. The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists diethanolamine and cocamide DEA as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

Most relevant to

Anyone using this regularly People who are pregnant Children

Cited authority

SCCS opinion on nitrosamines and secondary amines in cosmetic products (SCCS/1458/11); EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annexes II and III; IARC Monographs Volumes 77 and 101

How common it is in this catalogue

Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.

2 of 912 published products 0.2%

By category

Haircare 1
Bath & Body 1

Identity

Also appears on labels as

Diethanolamine DEA Cocamide DEA Lauramide DEA Cocamide Diethanolamine Oleamide DEA Linoleamide DEA

Questions

Are Diethanolamine and DEA Amides safe?

The concern is cited to SCCS opinion on nitrosamines and secondary amines in cosmetic products (SCCS/1458/11); EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annexes II and III; IARC Monographs Volumes 77 and 101. Why it is flagged: Can form nitrosamines - IARC possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B). Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care. It appears in 2 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.2%).

How common are Diethanolamine and DEA Amides in Indian packaged products?

Decode Label found Diethanolamine and DEA Amides in 2 of 912 published products (0.2%), most often in Haircare, Bath & Body.

Who should be most careful with Diethanolamine and DEA Amides?

Anyone using this regularly; People who are pregnant; Children.

Products containing Diethanolamine and DEA Amides

2 published products, each with its own full analysis.

Mildy Every Day Shampoo Santoor Classic Gentle Hand Wash with Natural goodne...

Related ingredients

Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.

Coal Tar Formaldehyde BHA Carbon Black DMDM Hydantoin Hydroquinone

Method and limits

  • Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 912 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
  • Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
  • A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
  • No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
  • Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 3 November 2026.
  • Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.