If your shampoo makes big foamy bubbles… check the label.
If you enjoy a shampoo or body wash that creates thick, foamy bubbles, you may have encountered an ingredient called DEA.
What Is DEA?
DEA (diethanolamine) is a chemical used in cosmetics and personal care products to help create foam and stabilize ingredients.
You may see it listed on labels under several names, including:
Diethanolamine
Cocamide
Lauramide
You may find them in:
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body wash
Liquid hand soap
Bubble bath
Facial cleansers
Because these products are often used daily, this creates a repeated exposure over time.
Why Do Some People Avoid DEA?
Research has raised concerns about DEA compounds due to their potential health effects.
Some studies have suggested that certain DEA-related ingredients may be linked to negative effects on brain development when exposure occurs during pregnancy. This has led some health advocates and researchers to question whether repeated exposure through personal care products is necessary.
Another concern is that DEA can react with other ingredients during manufacturing or storage to form compounds called nitrosamines, which are considered potentially harmful.
Because of these concerns, many people who are working to reduce their overall exposure to questionable ingredients choose to avoid DEA-containing products.
Why Cumulative Exposure Matters?
Products like shampoo, body wash, and soap come into direct contact with your skin regularly. While they are rinsed away, repeated exposure over months and years can still contribute to overall chemical exposure.
The question becomes more meaningful when you consider:
How many products you use each day
How many years you have used them
How multiple preservative systems may interact
Lowering your toxic load is about reducing the overall burden, not targeting one ingredient as “the villain.”
When you remove just a few high-frequency exposures, you shift the total picture.
What to do instead?
You do not need to panic over every ingredient label.
Instead:
Replace products as they run out.
Read labels
Choose products with shorter ingredient lists.
Visit our Non-Toxic Living Page for tested toxic free options
The goal is not perfection. The goal is reduction.
My Favorite Product!
I switched to Pure Haven at the end of 2025 and LOVE my results. My hair is thin and fine usually needing to be washed every 3 days at the latest. It would be greasy within 24 hours and I'd have to resort to dry shampoo on occasion.
NOW...I went an ENTIRE WEEK without HAVING to wash my hair! That's a big win in my book and also showed me how much my residue was left in my hair from the low-tox shampoo I gave up.
I never pay full price for anything so if you want explore and keep an eye out, this goes on sale every few months. New customers receive 15% off (in addition to sales!)
One swap.
One upgrade.
One less daily exposure.
That is how sustainable change works.
In health & frequency,
— Kate
Hi, I'm Kate
As founder of Doable with Kate, I believe life and business should feel simple and aligned. My background in architecture shaped my love for structure and design, but my personal health journey led me into holistic wellness and non-toxic living.
Now I help women clean up their homes and businesses, build them systems that feel both authentic and profitable.
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