Is Laureth-3 safe in cosmetics?
Laureth-3 has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Laureth-3
Also known as: 2-(2-(2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethanol, Lauryl triglycol ether, Ethanol, 2-[2-[2-(dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]-, 3,6,9-Trioxaheneicosan-1-ol, 2-[2-[2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethanol (+14 more)
INCI: LAURETH-3
Laureth-3 (CAS 3055-94-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Surfactant, emulsifier, penetration enhancer (HLB ≈ 7.9). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. 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 3055-94-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Laureth-3 is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H318, H319, H400) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Surfactant, emulsifier, penetration enhancer (HLB ≈ 7.9)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-[2-(2-dodecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethanol
InChIKey
FKMHSNTVILORFA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — not restricted under 21 CFR; CIR-reviewed
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Laureth-3.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
2 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
emulsifier
{"cas_number": "9002-92-0", "ingredient_class": "O/W_emulsifier", "chemical_type": "ethoxylated_fatty_alcohol", "HLB_value": "9.2", "HLB_required_for_oil_phase": "7-11", "emulsion_type_primary": "O/W", "droplet_size_typical_um": "1-3", "surface_tension_reduction_mN_m": "25", "interfacial_tension_reduction": "29", "foam_formation": "high", "foam_stability": "high", "liquid_crystal_formation": "high…
surfactant
{"cas_number": "3055-93-4", "surfactant_type": "nonionic", "chemical_class": "ethoxylate", "charge_at_use_ph": "neutral", "cmc_critical_micelle_concentration_mm": "0.03748548546151456", "hlb_value": "11.5", "foam_volume_ml_ross_miles": "83", "foam_quality": "airy", "foam_stability_5min_pct": "74", "cleansing_power_rating_1_to_10": "6.371496290631647", "oil_emulsification_capacity": "good", "sebum_…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Emulsifier
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Laureth-3.
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
Known Synonyms
2-(2-(2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethanol
Lauryl triglycol ether
Ethanol, 2-[2-[2-(dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]-
3,6,9-Trioxaheneicosan-1-ol
2-[2-[2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethanol
C12EO3
Dodecyl triethylene glycol
Ethal 326
LEA
Nikkol BL 3SY
Triethylene glycol lauryl ether
Tris(oxyethylene) dodecyl ether
n-Dodecyl triethylene glycol ether
Dodecyl alcohol triglycol ether
2-[2-[2-(dodeciloxi)etoxi]etoxi]etanol
2-[2-[2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol
2-[2-[2-(dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol C18H38O4
2-{2-[2-(Dodecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}ethanol
BRN 1779029
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Emulsifier
Regulatory Lists
SCIL (9/2019)
detected; Europe; Toys and children's products
Canada; Personal care; Substances in PCP - Canada (4/2014)
Cleaning products and household care - laundry and fabric treatment - laundry detergent; Europe
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
CHEMBL1651993
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Laureth-3 allowed in the EU?
Laureth-3 EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Laureth-3 do in cosmetics?
Laureth-3 functions as: Surfactant, emulsifier, penetration enhancer (HLB ≈ 7.9). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 3055-94-5.
Is Laureth-3 used outside cosmetics?
Laureth-3 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 Laureth-3 have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Laureth-3 is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H318, H319, H400) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Laureth-3 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
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