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Cocamide DEA
in Shampoos, Conditioners,
and Beauty Products
Shampoos, Soaps, and Cosmetics May
Contain Cocamide DEA
Can you trust that major personal hygiene product
manufacturers make your health and safety their top priority?
Not necessarily, according to a Center for Environmental
Health (CEH) study conducted on 100 top shampoo brands.
In August, 2013, the Oakland, California-based CEH released its
study results of 98 shampoos that still contain the ingredient
cocamidediethanoalamine (commonly called “cocamide DEA” or
just “DEA”), which had been outlawed in the State of California as a
potential carcinogen in 2012. One year later, however, 98 shampoo
brands still included DEA according to the CEH study, which
released its findings and immediately began a series of lawsuits
against producers and distributors of the offending products.
Here is everything you need to know about cocamide DEA and how it affects you:
Is Cocamide DEA
Harmful?
Who Is Selling Cocamide
DEA in Shampoo?
How Cocamide DEA Is Made
Potential Side-Effects of
Cocamide DEA
Does the FDA Consider DEA to
be Toxic or Carcinogenic?
Major Retailers Regularly
Carry Products Containing
Cocamide DEA on Their
Shelves
CEH’s List of Retailers
The “Organic” Label and
When You Can’t Trust It
What Other Ingredients
Also Include DEA?
How Cocamide DEA Is Made
Potential Side-Effects of
Cocamide DEA
Does the FDA Consider DEA
to be Toxic or Carcinogenic?
How Cocamide DEA Is Made
Potential Side-Effects of
Cocamide DEA
Does the FDA Consider DEA
to be Toxic or Carcinogenic?
Is Cocamide DEA Harmful?
According to the FDA, cocamide DEA is perfectly safe to use in
personal hygiene products and cosmetics. However, an assessment
by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) listed
the chemical as known to cause cancer.
The IARC assessment influenced the State of California to ban
the chemical from use in shampoos and other personal hygiene
and beauty products.
How Cocamide DEA Is Made
All things coconut have become particularly popular
as of late. The once exoticfruit of the coconut palm
is enjoying the spotlight as people rave about the
health benefits of the oil, the water, the meat, and
the milk. Coconut in all its natural forms might
actually be pretty good for you (provided you
don’t have an allergy to it), but cocamide DEA is
not a natural product of coconuts in the sense that
you could break open a coconut and spoon up some
cocamide DEA.
All things coconut have become particularly popular as of late. The once
exoticfruit of the coconut palm is enjoying the spotlight as people rave
about the health benefits of the oil, the water, the meat, and the milk.
Coconut in all its natural forms might actually be pretty good for you
(provided you don’t have an allergy to it), but cocamide DEA is not a natural
product of coconuts in the sense that you could break open a coconut and
spoon up some cocamide DEA.
Potential Side-Effects of
Cocamide DEA
In small doses, DEA has been known to cause an
allergic reaction in some people, producing a
mild form of dermatitis. Large doses, however,
are thought to be potentially carcinogenic to
humans—especially as it builds up in the system
over time. This is why California banned its use.
Does the FDA Consider DEA to
be Toxic or Carcinogenic?
According to the FDA’s website page that
addresses diethanolamine, the “FDA believes that
at the present time there is no reason for
consumers to be alarmed based on the use of
these substances [speaking of cocamide DEA and
other ingredients that also contain DEA] in
cosmetics.” While the FDA requires manufacturers
to ascertain that their beauty and personal hygiene
products are safe for human use, it does not regulate
which ingredients (or levels of those ingredients) are used aside
from those the agency has deemed toxic or harmful.
Who is Selling Cocamide DEA in Shampoos?
Major Retailers Regularly Carry
Products Containing Cocamide
DEA on Their Shelves
According to CEH’s study, many major retailers
are guilty, including some you might have hoped
were above such things, such as Trader Joe’s,
Sephora, Ulta, and Target. In addition, some
shampoos and bubble baths labeled as organic or
specifically targeted for children had high levels of
DEA. Organic by Africa’s Best brand, manufactured by
House of Cheatham, is one such offender, as is Kid’s
Bubble Bath (bubble-gum scented) made by Kmart.
Walmart, Kmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and 99 Cent Only Stores (among
other retailers)also carry products containing DEA.
Since 2014, many manufacturers have replaced cocamide DEA with other foaming
ingredients, including cocamidopropylbetaine (CAPB). Be aware that
manufacturers can replace an unpopular ingredient with one that could be just as
harmful but on which no conclusive studies have been done.
CEH’s List of Retailers
See the Center for Environmental Health’s
complete list of California retailers carrying
shampoos and soaps containing DEA here. Since
this list was published, manufacturers have
hastened to replace cocamide DEA with other
foaming agents that do not have the
carcinogenic label.
The “Organic” Label, and When You Can’t Trust It
You may be surprised to learn that the FDA does not have a
definition for the term “organic” when it comes to cosmetics or
personal hygiene products. The manufacturers of personal
hygiene and cosmetic products are self-regulating, meaning
that they set their own rules for what they label as “natural” or
“organic.” Because cocamide DEA is derived from coconuts,
manufacturers and distributors can (and do) label products with
this ingredient as “natural” or “organic.”
Does the FDA Regulate
Cocamide DEA?
No, it does not. Although it has been labeled (by the
IARC) as a potentially carcinogenic substance and
banned by the State of California, U.S.
manufacturers are not regulated as to its use.
Some products may have much higher DEA levels
than others, but the specific levels of DEA in any
particular product are not listed on the ingredients
list. Manufacturers that include DEA in their products
can still label their products as “all natural” or “organic.”
Some manufacturers have replaced the disgraced cocamide DEA with
other foaming agents that may still contain DEA. Look below to find a list
of ingredients that could contain DEA.
How Can I Tell If a Beauty
Product is Really Organic or
Natural?
The best way to decide if you can trust the purity
of a product is to check out the ingredients list
on the label. By law, manufacturers must list the
ingredients they put into their shampoos,
conditioners, soaps, and cosmetics. The
ingredients are listed in order of quantity.
If you do not recognize the ingredient or if it has a long chemical name,
this is an indication that the product may not be as organic or as natural as
it is advertised to be. You can do an Internet search for ingredients you do
not recognize or you can rely on products whose ingredients are things
you easily recognize.
What Other Ingredients Also Include DEA?
Other ingredients in shampoos and
cosmetics may also contain DEA.
Check the Ingredients List
Other products used in shampoos, conditioners,
soaps, and cosmetics may contain DEA. If you are
concerned about the potential risks of DEA, it is a
good idea to be familiar with the names of other
ingredients that may contain DEA.
Cocamide DEA
Myristamide DEA
Cocamide MEA
Oleamide DEA
DEA-Cetyl Phosphate
Stearamide MEA
DEA Oleth-3 Phosphate
TEA-Lauryl Sulfate
Lauramide DEA
Triethanolamine
Linoleamide MEA
Cocamide DEA Replaced by
Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB)
Since 2014, many manufacturers are replacing
cocamide DEA with cocamidopropyl betaine, or
CAPB. CAPB is thought to be less likely than DEA
to cause skin irritations and burning in those who
are sensitive to it.
Summary
In 2013, the Center for Environmental Health, based in Oakland, California,
published a list of 98 shampoo, soap, and bubble bath brands found on retailer’s
shelves that contained cocamide DEA. Cocamide DEA had been listed as a known
carcinogen and banned in the State of California since 2012.
Cocamide DEA and other DEA-containing chemicals were assessed by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as carcinogenic.
Unfortunately, the FDA does not consider DEA to be toxic or hazardous, so the
ingredient is not regulated for personal hygiene products and cosmetics in the
United States.
The FDA also does not regulate the terms “organic” or “natural” in the cosmetics
industry. Instead, the industry is expected to self-regulate and only distribute
products they deem safe for human use.
Since cocamide DEA became unpopular as an ingredient, some manufacturers
have replaced it with other foaming agents such as cocamidopropyl betaine
(CAPB), which is thought to cause fewer skin irritations and skin sensitivity than
DEA.
Resources
Wikipedia
Center for Environmental Health (CEH)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Federal Drug Administration (FDA) “Organic” Cosmetics
United States Food and Drug Administration (USDA) Organic Regulations