1, 3-Dimethylurea is a urea derivative and used as an intermediate in organic synthesis. It is a colorless crystalline powder with little toxicity. It is also used for synthesis of caffeine, pharmachemicals, textile aids, herbicides and other. In the textile processing industry 1,3-dimethylurea is used as intermediate for the production of formaldehyde-free easy-care finishing agents for textiles. In the Swiss Product Register there are 38 products containing 1,3-dimethylurea, among them 17 products intended for consumer use. Product types are e.g. paints and cleaning agents. The content of 1,3-dimethylurea in consumer products is up to 10 % (Swiss Product Register, 2003). Use in cosmetics has been proposed, but there is no information available as to its actual use in such applications.
