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DEA-free
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| LABEL REPORT CARD |
| How meaningful is the label? |
Is the label verified? |
Is the meaning of the label consistent? |
Are the label standards publicly available? |
Is information about the organization publicly available? |
Is the organization free from conflict of interest? |
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input? |
| Somewhat Meaningful |
No |
Yes |
No1 |
No2 |
No3 |
No |
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1. There are no government or official standards for this term.
2. There is no independent organization behind this label.
3. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest.
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LABEL CATEGORY:
General Claims |
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WHERE YOU'LL FIND THIS GENERAL CLAIM:
 CLEANING PRODUCTS
GLASS & METAL CLEANERS
 PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
BABY PRODUCTS
BATH PRODUCTS
EYE MAKEUP PRODUCTS
HAIR CARE PRODUCTS
MAKEUP PRODUCTS (NOT FOR EYE)
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
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WHAT THIS GENERAL CLAIM MEANS:
There is no official or government definition of “DEA-free” or “no DEA,” but the claim asserts that the product does not contain the ingredient diethanolamine, or DEA.
Although DEA itself if used in very few cosmetics, DEA-related ingredients (listed below) are used as foaming agents or emsulifers in shampoos, hair conditioners, liquid hand soap, and cosmetics. DEA/DEA-related ingredients are also used in cleaners such as liquid laundry and dishwashing detergents, and polishes.
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WHO VERIFIES THIS GENERAL CLAIM?
There is no organization that verifies the use of this claim other than the company manufacturing or marketing the product.
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CONSUMERS UNION EVALUATION:
How meaningful is the label?
“DEA-free” is somewhat meaningful. “DEA-free” asserts that the product does not contain DEA (diethanolamine) or ingredients that contain DEA. It is a fairly specific claim, but there is no organization that verifies the use of this claim other than the company manufacturing or marketing the product.
DEA is used in many household products, such as shampoos, hair conditioners, cosmetics, liquid laundry and dishwashing detergents, liquid hand soap, polishes, and other cleaners. It is also registered as a pesticide although there are no pesticide products currently in use, and it is used in some drugs and food packaging.
“DEA-free” claims may help consumers who wish to avoid DEA by helping them to distinguish products that do not contain it from similar products that frequently do contain it.
The following ingredients may contain DEA:
Cocamide DEA
DEA-Cetyl Phosphate
DEA Oleth-3 Phosphate
Lauramide DEA
Lauryl Sulfate DEA
Linoleamide DEA
Myristamide DEA
Oleamide DEA
Foods, drugs, and cosmetics are required to list their ingredients (with a few exceptions, such as fragrances in cosmetics), but household cleaning products are not required to disclose their ingredients (except for disinfectants or other ingredients considered to be an antimicrobial pesticide).
DEA can irritate the skin, and also the nose and throat if inhaled. Laboratory animals exposed to DEA through their skin or by mouth over their lifetime experienced adverse effects on several organ systems.
There is some evidence that DEA may cause cancer, but the evidence has been judged less than convincing by most authorities that have considered the issue. A study by the National Toxicology Program in 1998 found an association between the topical application of DEA (and certain DEA-related ingredients) and cancer in mice, but not in rats. California, which lists chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive harm, decided not to list DEA. A decision was also taken not to include it in the Eleventh Report on Carcinogens. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer considers DEA “not classifiable” as to its carcinogenicity to humans. EPA does not currently have a determination on whether DEA causes cancer or not.
FDA has found that the use of DEA-related ingredients in cosmetics decreased significantly since the NTP study was concluded. Whether its use will increase as a result of the decisions by California not to list it as a carcinogen, and not to include it in the Eleventh Report on Carcinogens, is not known.
Products containing DEA may also be contaminated by traces of cancer-causing nitrosamines, which can penetrate the skin. FDA states that cosmetics containing nitrosamines may be considered adulterated and subject to enforcement action. Nitrosamines are avoidable by proper formulation. Several surveys of cosmetic products conducted in the 1980s and 1990s found that they were frequently contaminated with nitrosamines. More recent surveys have not been conducted. FDA believes that nitrosamines in cosmetics are not as much of a concern as they were 10 years ago, since some products that had a nitrosamine problem were reformulated or no longer available, and manufacturers are more aware of the raw materials that should not be used together in a product (since they could lead to nitrosamine formation). FDA monitors product labeling for potential nitrosamine problems.
Does an organization verify that the label standards are met?
No.
Is the meaning of the label consistent?
Yes.
Are the label standards publicly available?
No, there are no government or official standards for this term.
Is information about the standard organization publicly available?
No, there is no independent organization behind this label.
Is the organization behind the label free from conflict of interest?
No, the producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest.
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?
No.
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LINKS FOR MORE INFO:
The Household Products Database sponsored by the National Institutes of Health contains health and safety information on household products and their ingredients
Diethanolamine and Cosmetic Products
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