Is Acetamide MEA safe in cosmetics?
Acetamide MEA has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Humectant
Acetamide MEA
Also known as: Acetamide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-, 2-Acetamidoethanol, 2-Acetylaminoethanol, 2-N-Acetylaminoethanol, Acetylcolamine (+14 more)
INCI: ACETAMIDE MEA
Acetamide MEA (CAS 142-26-7) is a cosmetic humectant functioning as Humectant; hair and skin conditioning agent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 142-26-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Acetamide MEA is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Humectant; hair and skin conditioning agent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acetamide
InChIKey
PVCJKHHOXFKFRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR (1993, amended 2015): safe in rinse-off products; safe in leave-on at <=7.5%; must not contain nitrosating agents
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Acetamide MEA.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-static agent
Foamant
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Thickening agent
Viscosity modifier
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Acetamide MEA.
Regulatory Flags
nitrosamine-risk
leave-on-concentration-limit
rinse-off-preferred
avoid-nitrosating-agents
Known Synonyms
Acetamide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-
2-Acetamidoethanol
2-Acetylaminoethanol
2-N-Acetylaminoethanol
Acetylcolamine
ESSIGSAEURE-(2-HYDROXYAETHYL)-AMID
ETHANOLAMINE, N-ACETYL-
N-(β-Hydroxyethyl)acetamide
N-2-Hydroxyethylacetamide
N-Acetyl-2-aminoethanol
N-Acetylethanolamine
N-Ethanolacetamide
β-Hydroxyethylacetamide
4-04-00-01535
Acetic acid amide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-
N-Acetyl ethanolamine
BRN 1811708
EINECS 205-530-8
Hydroxyethyl acetamide
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Humectant
Anti-static agent
Viscosity modifier
Thickening agent
Regulatory Lists
CEDI
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3188272
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Acetamide MEA allowed in the EU?
Acetamide MEA EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Acetamide MEA do in cosmetics?
Acetamide MEA functions as: Humectant; hair and skin conditioning agent. It is classified as a Humectant in our database. CAS number: 142-26-7.
Is Acetamide MEA used outside cosmetics?
Acetamide MEA also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Acetamide MEA have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Acetamide MEA is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Acetamide MEA compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
Related Ingredients
Alanine
Excellent
Same category
skin conditioning, hair conditioning,...
Aspartic Acid
Excellent
Same category
antistatic, hair conditioning, skin c...
Betaine
Excellent
Same category
Humectant, osmolyte, osmoprotectant; ...
Erythritol
Excellent
Same category
Humectant; water activity reduction a...
Glycerin
Excellent
Same category
Humectant that attracts water from de...
L-Glutamic Acid
Excellent
Same category
Enzymatically converts to pyrrolidone...
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
2,4-Hexadienal
Moderate
Chemical family
Fragrance
Allyl Heptanoate
Good
Chemical family
Fragrance (perfuming agent)
Aluminum Acetate
Moderate
Chemical family
Astringent, Buffering
Is Acetamide MEA in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Acetamide MEA in your formulation.