Oleamide DEA

What Is It?

Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA and Oleamide DEA are viscous liquids or waxy solids. These ingredients are fatty acids derivatives of diethanolamine (DEA). In cosmetics and personal care products, these ingredients are used in the formulation of shampoos, hair dyes, bath products, and lotions.

Why Is It Used?

Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA, and Oleamide DEA increase foaming capacity and/or stabilize foam. They are also used to thicken the aqueous (water) portion of cosmetics and personal care products.

Scientific Facts

Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA and Oleamide DEA are produced from naturally occurring fatty acids. Cocamide DEA is derived from the fatty acids of coconut oil, Lauramide DEA is derived from lauric acid, Linoleamide DEA is derived from linoleic acid, and Oleamide DEA is derived from oleic acid.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Fatty Acid Diethanolamides on its list of indirect food additives. For example, Fatty Acid Diethanolamides may be used in paper and paperboard in contact with dry food.

The safety of Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA and Oleamide DEA has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe as cosmetic ingredients.

To prevent the formation of possibly carcinogenic nitrosamines, these ingredients should not be used in cosmetics and personal care products containing nitrosating agents. Since the original review, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on Cocamide DEA and clarified its original conclusion.

The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Cocamide DEA was safe as used in rinse-off products and safe at concentrations of less than or equal to 10% in leave-on products. The CIR Expert Panel reaffirmed that Cocamide DEA should not be used as an ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products containing nitrosating agents.

CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel reviewed data showing that these four fatty acid alkanolamides were slightly toxic to nontoxic via acute oral administration. Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, and Linoleamide DEA were not dermal toxins in acute and subchronic studies.

Lauramide DEA and Linoleamide DEA were mild to moderate eye irritants and mild to severe skin irritants. Undiluted Oleamide DEA was not an eye irritant and was a moderate skin irritant in single and multiple applications. Lauramide DEA did not demonstrate mutagenic activity in three different assay systems. No data were available on the mutagenic or carcinogenic activity of Linoleamide DEA and Oleamide DEA.

The clinical information on these ingredients was confined to Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, and Linoleamide DEA. Generally, these products were mild skin irritants but not sensitizers or photosensitizers. Based on these data the CIR Expert Panel concluded that these ingredients were safe as cosmetic ingredients. To prevent the formation of possibly carcinogenic nitrosamines, these ingredients should not be used in cosmetics and personal care products containing nitrosating agents.

The CIR Expert Panel’s decision to reevaluate the safety of Cocamide DEA in cosmetics and personal care products was based on occupational studies indicating that this ingredient may have sensitization potential. However, the CIR Expert Panel determined that these studies were not relevant to cosmetic use. Furthermore, the CIR Expert Panel agreed that its original conclusion on Cocamide DEA should be clarified relative to use of this ingredient in rinse-off and leave-on products. Clarification of the original conclusion is based on the results of a skin irritation test in which volunteers were tested with a surfactant solution containing 10% Cocamide DEA, the highest concentration tested in predictive patch tests. Based on this test, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Cocamide DEA was safe as used in rinse-off products and safe at concentrations of less than or equal to 10% in leave-on products. The CIR Panel reaffirmed that Cocamide DEA should not be used as an ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products containing nitrosating agents.

More information about Diethanolamine.

More information about Nitrosamines.

Link to the FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Fatty Acid Diethanolamides

All four ingredients are listed under Fatty Acid Dialkylamides and Dialkanolamides in the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union (see Annex III, Part I) and may be used with a maximum secondary amine concentration of 0.5%. They may not be used with nitrosating systems, in addition to other limitations.

EU Cosmetic Regulation

More Scientific Information

Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA and Oleamide DEA are fatty acid diethanolamides that may contain 4-33% diethanolamine. These ingredients function as surfactants – foam boosters, viscosity increasing agents – aqueous, emollients and thickeners in cosmetics and personal care products.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives