Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
GOOD
Antioxidant
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Also known as: 1,2-Dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid, (.+-.)-, 1,2-Dithiolane-3-valeric acid, (.+-.)-, 5-(dithiolan-3-yl)valeric acid, (±)-α-Lipoic acid, 5-19-07-00237 (+14 more)
INCI: THIOCTIC ACID
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (CAS 1077-28-7) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as antioxidant, skin-conditioning, anti-aging. 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
Function
antioxidant, skin-conditioning, anti-aging
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
OTC; dual water and fat solubility; regenerates vitamins C and E in antioxidant network
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Alpha-Lipoic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
JPKR Japan/Korea Cosmetics
Japan (Restricted): max 0.01
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP | restricted | 0.01% | Wash-away: 0.01% | Leave-on: 0.01% | Mucosa: Prohibited |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Alpha-Lipoic Acid — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
dual-soluble
antioxidant-regenerator
anti-glycation
mild-irritation-risk
r-form-preferred
Known Synonyms
1,2-Dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid, (.+-.)-
1,2-Dithiolane-3-valeric acid, (.+-.)-
5-(dithiolan-3-yl)valeric acid
(±)-α-Lipoic acid
5-19-07-00237
BRN 0081853
DL-1,2-Dithiolane 3-valeric acid
(+-)-1,2-Dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid
DL-1,2-Dithiolane-3-valeric acid
EINECS 214-071-2
DL-alpha-Lipoic acid
Rac-lipoate
Thioctic acid dl-form
DL-1,2-Dithiolan-3-valeriansaeure
UNII-73Y7P0K73Y
6,8-Dithiooctanoic acid
(+-)-alpha-Lipoic acid
(+-)-Thioctic acid
(RS)-alpha-Lipoic acid
Chemical Function
Antioxidant
Regulatory Lists
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
LIPOIC ACID, ALPHA
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL33864
Max Phase
3
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Lipoic acid
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid allowed in the EU?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Alpha-Lipoic Acid do in cosmetics?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid functions as: antioxidant, skin-conditioning, anti-aging. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 1077-28-7.
Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Alpha-Lipoic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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