DEA-C12-13 pareth-3 sulfate is a reaction product of diethanolamine. DEA is a colorless amino alcohol which is used as surfactant in cosmetic products. As a surfactant the substance has a cleansing effect on the body surface.
The polyoxyethylene ethers of synthetic fatty alcohols are called "pareth" (for comparison see: laurethe as polyoxyethylene ether of lauryl alcohol; steareth as polyoxyethylene ether of stearyl alcohol and others).
Polyalkylene glycol ethers are non-ionic surfactants whose lipophilic part consists of fatty alcohols (e.g. diethanolamine = DEA, lauryl alcohol, palmitic alcohol, stearyl alcohols etc.). The hydrophilic part is formed by short-chain polyethylene glycols (polyoxyethylene). In the designation of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, the inserted numbering means the average number of ethylene oxide units per mole. The C numbering (e.g. C12-13) designates the synthetic C12-C13 alcohol diethanolamine.
For example, the INCI designation DEA-C12-13 pareth-3 sulfate defines the polyoxyethylene ether consisting of 3 ethylene oxide units per mole with a mixture of the synthetic C12-C13 diethanolamine. The substance acts as a surfactant, as a washing-active substance cleaning the body surface.