Are you making progress toward clearing out your cabinets of products containing artificial colorants and artificial fragrances? I agree that it can be a bit daunting, especially when even many supposedly “natural” and mostly organic products often contain them. Your health is worth it. We have been misled to believe that because these products are used externally, they are safe to use. Yet, according to Dr. Mercola, “Putting chemicals on your skin or scalp may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body. However, when you put these chemicals on your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going, directly to your delicate organs. Because we lack the enzymes to break down these chemicals, they tend to accumulate over time.”¹

Thousands of chemicals are used in personal care products. The U. S. government does not require any testing before they are sold. Many of these chemicals have been found to be hazardous to your health. Next on my list of potentially harmful ingredients is a group of chemicals called diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA).

What are DEA and TEA?

Diethanolamine (DEA) is a colorless liquid surfactant and corrosion inhibitor.² DEA is commonly used to produce the foam and bubbles in shampoos, liquid soaps, and detergents. DEA is usually combined with other substances and converted to a new ingredient, such as cocamide DEA.³ Because DEA is such a strong base, it balances the pH of the other more acidic ingredients.

Triethanolamine (TEA) is produced by reacting ethylene oxide (considered highly toxic) with ammonia (also toxic).⁴ TEA is a thick, colorless surfactant. As a wetting agent, triethanolamine reduces the surface tension of droplets, allowing water to flow more freely.⁵ As an emulsifier, TEA enables water and oil soluble ingredients to mix. TEA is also a buffering agent and can be found in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products: eyeliners, mascara, eye shadows, blushes, make-up bases and foundations, fragrances, hair care products, hair dyes, wave sets, shaving products, sunscreens, skin cleansing products.⁴ Triethanolamine also serves as a pH balancer in liquid laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, general cleaners, hand cleaners, polishes, skin lotions, eye gels, moisturizers, shampoos, make-up removers and shaving cream.⁶

What is the potential danger of using DEA and/or TEA?

Allergic reactions and skin irritations have been reportedly linked to both DEA and TEA. According to Dr. Mercola, “triethanolamine can cause asthma to develop in otherwise healthy individuals.”⁷

While the International Agency for Research on Cancer found “inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of diethanolamine,”³ TEA has been shown to cause bladder and liver cancer and changes in the testicles.⁴ Both DEA and TEA can be contaminated in the manufacturing process with nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are known carcinogens and have been shown to penetrate the skin.⁸

In addition, nitrosamines have been found in drinking water that was converted from wastewater. When the DEA and TEA from shampoo, cleaning agents, liquid soaps, etc. wash down the drain and hit the wastewater treatment plants where chloramine is added, NDMA (a nitrosamine) is formed as one of the byproducts. Reverse osmosis filters remove only about half of NDMA. NDMA causes fibrosis of the liver and cancer in rats.⁹

How to avoid DEA and TEA

Read the list of ingredients carefully.
Look for DEA, TEA, MEA, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine.
Do not buy any product listing those ingredients.
Make your own personal care and household cleaning products (recipes will be in future blogs)
Buy organic products; look for the genuine USDA Organic Seal
Ask yourself, “Would I eat this?”