Diethanolamine (DEA) is an organic compound used as a wetting agent in cosmetics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and gas scrubbers. It can react with other ingredients in cosmetics to create a carcinogenic chemical called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), which is linked to various cancers. DEA is sold under different trade names and may contain trace elements of related amino compounds. It is considered one of the riskiest chemical compounds used in cosmetic products due to its propensity to degrade to NDEA.
Diethanolamine, or DEA, is an organic compound synthesized from a reaction of ethylene oxide and ammonia, and has been produced in large industrial quantities since the early 1930s. At room temperature, it is a clear, hygroscopic liquid that draws moisture from the air, or a white crystalline solid that may have a slight ammonia odor as the temperature increases. The compound can be used for many commercial purposes, but chief among them is as an intermediate wetting agent in cosmetics and health and beauty aids such as shampoos, lotions and creams, as it acts to create a thick lather or creamy texture when mixed with water or spread on the skin surface. Diethanolamine is also used in the production of textiles, pharmaceuticals and herbicides. A major industrial use is as a gas scrubber in the petroleum and natural gas industries to remove hazardous hydrogen sulfide gas byproducts produced in refining.
Diethanolamine has long been known to pose health risks upon exposure in the many industries in which it is used, including as an ingredient in hand-applied waxes, polishes, and corrosion inhibitors. However, the greatest risk to human health is represented by the ingredient of cosmetic products applied directly and repeatedly to the skin. Research has shown that, over time, DEA will chemically react with other constituents of these products to create an extremely potent carcinogenic chemical called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA).
Reports of adverse effects of NDEA on human health link it to cancers of the stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder. Studies have shown that NDEA is carcinogenic and toxic in 44 different species of experimental animals it has been tested on. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognize the health risks of diethanolamine, little official government documentation exists regarding the specific and detailed toxicology due to the fact that cosmetics are only haphazardly regulated by the US federal government. It is widely considered, however, to be one of the riskiest chemical compounds used in cosmetic products as of 2011 due in part to its propensity to degrade to NDEA.
When diethanolamine is sold by chemical manufacturers, it is available in different concentration levels which may contain trace elements of related amino compounds such as monoethanolamine and triethanolamine. This fact has led to DEA labeling in numerous ways, with the chemical having at least 11 other trade names which include cocamide DEA, TEA-lauryl sulfate, cocamide MEA, DEA oleth-3 phosphate, lauramide DEA, DEA-cetyl phosphate, linoleamide MEA, oleamide DEA, stearamide MEA, myristamide DEA and triethanolamine. Each of these compounds may contain trace elements of diethanolamine or may be the main ingredient of such chemicals. This is a result of it being a polyfunctional chemical that binds easily with related amines or ammonia and diol or ethylene based compounds.
When sold as DEA, the chemical is usually 99.3% pure DEA and is commercially a trace element 0.45% monoethanolamine and a constituent 0.25% triethanolamine. Some industrial manufacturers also offer a reduced concentration of 85% diethanolamine mixed with 15% deionized water for shipment in colder climates, as it has some ability to inhibit freezing of products. The largest use for the product in the United States is as a 39% surfactant or blowing agent, and 30% of DEA production goes to the gas industry as a cleaning chemical. The remaining uses are divided between textile, engineering, agricultural and related commercial interests.
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