Alkanolamines are widely used as detergents, thickeners, alkalizing agents and emulsifiers in cosmetic products. But the super-scale uses of alkanolamines in cosmetics could cause poten- tial health risks [1]. Alkylamines maybe present as contaminants in cosmetics resulting from the decarboxylation of amino acids or the use of the impure chemical raw materials. The volatile amines such as dimethylamine (DMA) and diethylamine (DIEA) emit pungent smells that are hazardous to human health [2]. DMA can also react with nitrosation agents to form carcinogenic dimethylnitrosamine compounds [3]. According to the current European and Chinese cosmetic regulations, alkanolamines including monoethanolamine (MEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) are restricted ingredients, whose maximum allowable concentra- tions in rinse-off products are 0.5% (w/w) and 2.5% (w/w). The total concentrations of diethanolamine (DEA) and TEA in leave-onformulations should not exceed 5% (w/w), while dimethylamine (DMA) and diethylamine (DIEA) are prohibited for use in cosmetic formulations [4,5]. The simultaneous determination of various organic compounds still remains a major challenge because of the presence of a lot of organic substances and some inorganic salts in cosmetics that may interfere with the determination.