title: Safety assessment of diethanolamides as used in cosmetics.
abstract: Cocamide diethanolamine (DEA) and some of the other diethanolamides are mainly used as surfactant foam boosters or viscosity increasing agents in cosmetics, although a few are reported to be used as hair and skin conditioning agents, surfactant-cleansing or surfactant-emulsifying agents, or as an opacifying agent. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel considered new data and information from previous CIR reports to assess the concerns about the potential for amidases in human skin to convert these diethanolamides into DEA and the corresponding fatty acids. The Expert Panel concluded that these diethanolamides are safe as used when formulated to be nonirritating and when the levels of free DEA in the diethanolamides do not exceed those considered safe by the Panel. The Panel also recommended that these ingredients not be used in cosmetic products in which N-nitroso compounds can be formed.
authors.affiliation: Cosmetic Ingredient Review, Washington, DC 20036, USA. cirinfo@cir-safety.org
authors.forename: Monice M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fiume
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heldreth
authors.forename: Wilma F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Bergfeld
authors.forename: Donald V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Belsito
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Curtis D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Liebler
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shank
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Slaga
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: F Alan
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D003358:Cosmetics; D004983:Ethanolamines; C020283:diethanolamine
keywords: cocamide DEA; diethanolamides