TEA-Sorbate

AKA: Triethanolamine Sorbate

Plant-Derived

Preservative

Not Clean

TEA-Sorbate is the triethanolamine salt of 2,4-hexanedienoic acid

Form

Liquid

Functions

Antimicrobial

Keeps your product from growing bacteria, mold, or yeast. Without these, that jar of cream becomes a petri dish in about a week.

Preservative

Keeps your product from growing bacteria, mold, or yeast. Without these, that jar of cream becomes a petri dish in about a week.

Fights Bacteria

Traditional Use

A synthetic preservative compound combining triethanolamine with sorbic acid (originally derived from rowan berries). Developed in the 20th century as a food and cosmetic preservative.

EWG

CIR

Safe as used

Pregnancy

Yes

Restricted By

Credo Beauty Sephora Clean at Sephora Target Clean Whole Foods Premium Body Care Beauty Heroes MADE SAFE EWG VERIFIED

CIR Safety Findings

Not a Sensitizer

medical-approval

all-shades-safe

Regulatory Status

USA✔ permitted

EU✔ permitted

JAPAN✔ permitted

CANADA✔ permitted

Regulatory Agencies

EWG CIR FDA EU COSING Health Canada

Skin Types

●all-skin-types

Best For

General

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe

Yes

The paper trail

🔬Peer-reviewednone on file

⚖️Regulatory1 listing →

🛡️Safety-assessed2 reviews →

Counts, not a verdict. A listing isn't a study. The trail, you decide.

Verified Jun 2026

Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR