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Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Triethanolamine in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Triethanolamine is a cosmetic ingredient that lets oil and water mix, so the product can wash dirt away. The EU allows it only with limits or conditions. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 768 products, most often shaving.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Triethanolamine do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Triethanolamine lets oil and water mix, so the product can wash dirt away, keeps oil and water mixed, and hides an unwanted smell or taste. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: surfactant, emulsifying, masking and buffering.

surfactantemulsifyingmaskingbuffering

What other names and numbers does Triethanolamine have?

CAS number
102-71-6
EC number
203-049-8
CosIng reference
38702

Is Triethanolamine restricted in the EU?

Yes, it has limits. The EU allows it only with limits or conditions of use, such as a maximum amount or a warning on the label (Annex III of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 62).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Triethanolamine?

Open Beauty Facts finds Triethanolamine in the ingredient lists of 768 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often shaving, hair care and body care.

  • Shaving41
  • Hair care32
  • Body care30

Products with it, by country of sale: France 232 · United States 76 · Spain 58 · Turkey 40.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Triethanolamine turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsSurfactants and cleansersEmulsifiersRestricted in the EU

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

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