Ingredient glossary / Cleansing agent
Cocamide DEA
On the label: Cocamide DEA · Cleansing agent
What it is
A foam booster the EU restricts and California lists under Proposition 65; most makers have moved to MEA or MIPA versions.
Cleansing agents: Surfactants lift oil and dirt so water can carry them off; the cleaning part of any wash, and what makes it foam.
Wikidata: Mixture of chemical compounds. Q3681908 →
In the research
13 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Skin Toxicity of Selected Hair Cosmetic Ingredients: A Review Focusing on Hairdressers · International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022
- Genital allergic contact dermatitis caused by cocamide DEA · Contact dermatitis, 2021
- Skin safety and health prevention: an overview of chemicals in cosmetic products · Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, 2019
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other cleansing agents
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.