Ethanolamines are useful formulation ingredients. They can adjust pH, stabilize emulsions, improve foaming, and help surfactants perform. They are found in personal-care products, cosmetics, household cleaners, detergents, and industrial formulations. But their chemistry comes with...

Three abbreviations on your ingredient list, MEA, DEA, or TEA, represent a class of chemicals that can react with other ingredients to form nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens. Ethanolamines are workhorses in conventional cleaning products....