CIR reviewed the safety of cocamide DEA, and other related substances including lauramide DEA, linoleamide DEA and oleamide DEA, and concluded that cocamide DEA is safe as used in rinse-off personal care products and safe at concentrations of less than or equal to 10 percent in leave-on products.
The FDA has stated, “there is no reason for consumers to be alarmed” regarding the use of DEA substances in cosmetics. There was some confusion about the safety of cocamide DEA after NTP completed a study that found an association between the topical application of DEA and certain DEA-related ingredients and cancer in laboratory animals. FDA stated that the NTP study did not establish a link between DEA and the risk of cancer in humans.