Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) safe in cosmetics?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid)
Also known as: Protocatechuic acid, BRN 1448841, EINECS 202-760-0, UNII-36R5QJ8L4B, 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoate (+7 more)
INCI: 3,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) (CAS 99-50-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antioxidant, skin conditioning. 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 99-50-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant, skin conditioning
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid
InChIKey
YQUVCSBJEUQKSH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not restricted; recognized as a food substance (GRAS pathway) by FDA
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid).
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Number
2278
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Humectant
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid).
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Protocatechuic acid
BRN 1448841
EINECS 202-760-0
UNII-36R5QJ8L4B
2,4-Dihydroxybenzoate
2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate
Protocatehuic acid
b-Resorcylate
b-Resorcylic acid
beta-Resorcylic acid
beta-resorcylate
Chemical Function
Humectant
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
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.
Compound
PROTOCATECHUIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL37537
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) allowed in the EU?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) do in cosmetics?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) functions as: Antioxidant, skin conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 99-50-3.
Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) used outside cosmetics?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) 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.
Compliance Tools
Check 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid) compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
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Heavy Metal Limits
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Skin Conditioning - Miscellaneous
3,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID
Good
Chemical family
Skin Protecting
3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Moderate
Chemical family
Antimicrobial, Skin Conditioning
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Excellent
Chemical family
Preservative, pH Balancer
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