Is Triisopropanolamine safe in cosmetics?
Triisopropanolamine has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
Triisopropanolamine
Also known as: Tris(2-hydroxypropyl)amine, Tri-iso-propanolamine, 4-04-00-01680, BRN 1071570, Caswell No. 891 (+4 more)
INCI: TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE
Triisopropanolamine (CAS 122-20-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Buffering, pH adjuster. NOAEL 100 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.5%; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 122-20-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Triisopropanolamine is classified GHS Danger (H319, H412, H315, H336, H318, H335) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.5%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Buffering, pH adjuster
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1-[bis(2-hydroxypropyl)amino]propan-2-ol
InChIKey
SLINHMUFWFWBMU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.5%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; CIR concluded safe as used (1987, reaffirmed)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Triisopropanolamine.
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.
Signal Word
WARNING
Pictograms
Excl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Causes serious eye irritation Causes skin irritation May cause respiratory irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is severely irritating to the eyes. The substance is irritating to the skin and respiratory tract.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
cir
Number
1, 1987
Verdict: unknown
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Triisopropanolamine across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Eye Irrit. 2
Hazard Statements
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation
Inserted via ATP: ATP05
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0592
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
A severe eye irritant. | MODERATELY IRRITANT TO SKIN & EYES. /TRIISOPROPANOLAMINES/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Corrosion inhibitor
Emulsifier
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Triisopropanolamine.
Known Synonyms
Tris(2-hydroxypropyl)amine
Tri-iso-propanolamine
4-04-00-01680
BRN 1071570
Caswell No. 891
EINECS 204-528-4
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 004209
3,3',3"-Nitrilotri(2-propanol)
UNII-W9EN9DLM98
Chemical Function
pH regulating agent
Corrosion inhibitor
Emulsifier
Regulatory Lists
Europe; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
CEDI
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
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
CHEMBL1877948
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Triisopropanolamine allowed in the EU?
Triisopropanolamine EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.5%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Triisopropanolamine do in cosmetics?
Triisopropanolamine functions as: Buffering, pH adjuster. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 122-20-3.
Is Triisopropanolamine classified as hazardous under GHS?
Triisopropanolamine carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Causes serious eye irritation Causes skin irritation May cause respiratory irritation. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Triisopropanolamine used outside cosmetics?
Triisopropanolamine 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 Triisopropanolamine have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Triisopropanolamine is classified GHS Danger (H319, H412, H315, H336, H318, H335) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.5%.
Compliance Tools
Check Triisopropanolamine compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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
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