Is ACETAMIDE MEA safe to use in EU cosmetics?

ACETAMIDE MEA is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What function does ACETAMIDE MEA serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, ACETAMIDE MEA carries the following function designation(s): HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING.

What other records share CAS 142-26-7?

CAS 142-26-7 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains ACETAMIDE MEA?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 7414503/08/2020

ACETAMIDE MEA

N-2-hydroxyethylacetamide

ACETAMIDE MEA is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 142-26-7

CAS 142-26-7PubChem CID 8880

Acetylethanolamine

N-acetylethanolamine is a member of the class of ethanolamines that is 2-aminoethanol in which one of the hydrogens of the amino group is replaced by an acetyl group. It has a role as a metabolite. It is a member of acetamides, a member of ethanolamines and a monocarboxylic acid amide. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acetamide

Molecular formula: C4H9NO2
Molecular weight: 103.12 g/mol
Exact mass: 103.063328530 Da
XLogP3: -1.1
Topological polar surface area: 49.3 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 2
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 2
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

N-Acetylethanolamine2-AcetamidoethanolAcetylcolamineAcetamide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-Acetamide MEA2-AcetylaminoethanolN-EthanolacetamideN-Acetyl-2-aminoethanol

16 more reported names

Hydroxyethyl acetamideN-Acetyl ethanolamineN-2-HydroxyethylacetamideAcetic monoethanolamidebeta-HydroxyethylacetamideN-beta-HydroxyethylacetamideNSC 5999HSDB 2713EINECS 205-530-8BRN 1811708A9O0818TWDAcetic acid amide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-AI3-02836NSC-5999ACETAMIDE MEA [VANDF]acetamide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:74687
ChEMBL:CHEMBL3188272
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID6044804
PubMed:20361802

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for ACETAMIDE MEA

INCI name

ACETAMIDE MEA

Description

N-2-hydroxyethylacetamide

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 74145
Imported identity: ACETAMIDE MEA
Source update: 03/08/2020

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for ACETAMIDE MEA

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Key data

CAS

142-26-7

205-530-8

Restriction

—

Function

HAIR CONDITIONING: Enhancing the appearance and feel of hair. Leaving the hair easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny and/or imparting volume, lightness, gloss, texture, etc.
HUMECTANT: Retaining and/or preserving the moisture in a product during use.
SKIN CONDITIONING: Maintaining the skin in good condition.
SURFACTANT - CLEANSING: Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING: Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilizing foams in general.
VISCOSITY CONTROLLING: Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#547 · ACETAMIDE MEA

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

ALMONDAMIDE DEASURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

ALMONDAMIDOPROPYL BETAINEANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY …

APHANIZOMENON FLOS-AQUAE POWDERSKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING

APRICOTAMIDE DEASURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

APRICOTAMIDOPROPYL BETAINEANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - F…

ARACHIDYL/BEHENYL ALCOHOLSURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - DISPERSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTI…

ARACHIDYL/BEHENYL BETAINATE ESYLATECLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - DISPERSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - …

ARACHIDYL/BEHENYL BETAINATE MESYLATECLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - DISPERSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - …

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How ACETAMIDE MEA appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists ACETAMIDE MEA as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

ACETAMIDE MEA is also tagged with 6 cosmetic functions in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

ACETAMIDE MEA is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, ACETAMIDE MEA carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 142-26-7 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.

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Source note for ACETAMIDE MEA

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for ACETAMIDE MEA from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research ACETAMIDE MEA and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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