Body & Beauty / Compounds / Triethanolamine

Triethanolamine on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Can form carcinogenic nitrosamines (NDELA) when combined with nitrosating agents; skin sensitizer; EU restricted in cosmetics (max 2.5%); not acutely toxic alone but nitrosamine formation is key concern

What is triethanolamine?

The IUPAC name is 2-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol.

Also known as: 2-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol, Trolamine, 2,2',2''-Nitrilotriethanol, Sterolamide.

IUPAC name
2-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol
CAS number
102-71-6
Molecular formula
C6H15NO3
Molecular weight
149.19 g/mol
SMILES
C(CO)N(CCO)CCO
PubChem CID
7618

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Can form carcinogenic nitrosamines (NDELA) when combined with nitrosating agents; skin sensitizer; EU restricted in cosmetics (max 2.5%); not acutely toxic alone but nitrosamine formation is key concern

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Triethanolamine. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EU_COSMETICS2009restrictedEU Annex III — max 2.5%
FDA2024restricted_cosmeticNot to be used with nitrosating agents

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter triethanolamine

  • Personal Care — cosmetics (pH adjuster), lotion, cream, sunscreen
  • Consumer Products — cleaning products, metalworking fluids
  • Fragrance — perfume, cologne, scented personal care products, household fragrance products, candles
    Identified in Fragrance Ingredient Safety Priority Research database (2,325 ingredients)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Triethanolamine:

  • AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol)
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Sodium hydroxide
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Arginine
    Trade-offs: Industrial process alternative; requires compatibility testing with existing equipment and processes; regulatory compliance verification needed; cost and availability may vary by region.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain triethanolamine?

Triethanolamine appears in: cosmetics (pH adjuster) (Personal care); lotion (Personal care); cleaning products (Consumer products); metalworking fluids (Consumer products); perfume (Fragrance).

See Triethanolamine in the body app

Look up products containing triethanolamine, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. PubChem Compound Database (2026) — database

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →