Is Dibutyl Ethanolamine safe in cosmetics?
Dibutyl Ethanolamine has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Dibutyl Ethanolamine
Also known as: 2-(Dibutylamino)ethanol, Ethanol, 2-(dibutylamino)-, 4-04-00-01506, BRN 1738441, Dibutylaminoethanol (+11 more)
INCI: DIBUTYL ETHANOLAMINE
Dibutyl Ethanolamine (CAS 102-81-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Buffering agent. NOAEL 50 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. 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 102-81-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Dibutyl Ethanolamine is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H312, H314, H318, H335, H227, H371, H373).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Buffering agent
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-(dibutylamino)ethanol
InChIKey
IWSZDQRGNFLMJS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — not specifically prohibited under 21 CFR; FDA notes nitrosamine concerns with DEA-related amines generally
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Dibutyl Ethanolamine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes and skin. The vapour is irritating to the respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. This may result in convulsions and respiratory failure. Cholinesterase inhibition. Exposure could cause death. Medical observation is indicated. The effects may be delayed.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, through the skin and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Dibutyl Ethanolamine across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
1418
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
pH regulating agent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Dibutyl Ethanolamine.
Known Synonyms
2-(Dibutylamino)ethanol
Ethanol, 2-(dibutylamino)-
4-04-00-01506
BRN 1738441
Dibutylaminoethanol
N,N-(Dibutylamino)ethanol
2-Di-n-butylaminoethanol
beta-n-Dibutylaminoethyl alcohol
Dibutylethanolamine
Di(n-butyl)ethanolamine
N,N-Dibutylethanolamine
N,N-Dibutyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine
N,N-Dibutyl-2-hydroxyethylamine
EINECS 203-057-1
NSC 6330
UNII-3IT10X9MHO
Chemical Function
pH regulating agent
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
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
CHEMBL1447214
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dibutyl Ethanolamine allowed in the EU?
Dibutyl Ethanolamine EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Dibutyl Ethanolamine do in cosmetics?
Dibutyl Ethanolamine functions as: Buffering agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 102-81-8.
Is Dibutyl Ethanolamine used outside cosmetics?
Dibutyl Ethanolamine 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 Dibutyl Ethanolamine have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Dibutyl Ethanolamine is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H312, H314, H318, H335, H227, H371, H373).
Compliance Tools
Check Dibutyl Ethanolamine 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
Acrylates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Crosspolymer
Excellent
Same category
Emulsion stabilising, film forming
Adipic Acid
Excellent
Same category
Buffering
Aluminum Magnesium Oxide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, bulking agent, opacifying ...
Ammonium VA/Acrylates Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, binding, film forming, ha...
Ammonium VA/Crotonic Acid Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, film forming, hair fixing...
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, emulsion stabilising, film...
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1-Nitropropane
Poor
Similar safety
None in cosmetics - industrial solven...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Cocodimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Lauryldimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
Amyl Phenylacetate
Good
Chemical family
Perfuming, flavoring agent
Benzyl Phenylacetate
Good
Chemical family
Perfuming (jasmine-like, sweet, balsa...
Butyl Diethanolamine
Moderate
Chemical family
pH adjuster, buffering agent, corrosi...
Is Dibutyl Ethanolamine 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 Dibutyl Ethanolamine in your formulation.