Is Alumina safe in cosmetics?
Alumina has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Alumina
Also known as: Aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum-oxide, CAP 2, A1-0104 T 3/16'', A1-1404 T 3/16'' (+15 more)
INCI: ALUMINA
Alumina (CAS 1344-28-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking, Bulking, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling. NOAEL 1000 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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 1344-28-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Alumina is classified GHS Danger (H335, H372) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking, Bulking, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
dialuminum;tris(oxygen(2-))
InChIKey
PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR concluded safe in the present practices of use and concentration (2016). FDA-approved as indirect food additive and used in medical device implants.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Alumina.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
Inhalation of high concentrations of dust may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance may have effects on the central nervous system.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Alumina across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000,000 - 100,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
ecotoxicity
{"biodegradable": "no", "biodegradation_days": "non-biodegradable", "bioaccumulative": "no", "aquatic_toxicity_level": "low", "coral_reef_safe": "yes", "marine_toxicity": "low toxicity", "freshwater_toxicity": "minimal impact", "soil_toxicity": "inert mineral", "endocrine_disruptor": "no", "persistent_organic_pollutant": "no", "microplastic": "no", "nano_particle": "no", "hawaii_banned": "no", "eu…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
Not listed by IARC. IARC classified aluminum production as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), but did not implicate aluminum itself as a human carcinogen. (L135) A link between use of aluminum-containing antiperspirants and increased risk of breast cancer has been proposed (A235), but studies have not been able to establish a clear link (A15468).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
A4: Not classifiable as a human carcinogen. /Aluminum metal and insoluable compounds/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0351
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
May cause minor irritation to lungs and eyes. /Aluminum powder/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Abrasive
Absorbent
Adhesion/cohesion promoter
Adsorbent
Anti-adhesive/cohesive
Anti-caking agent
Anti-slip agent
Anti-static agent
Binder
Catalyst
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Alumina.
Known Synonyms
Aluminum oxide (Al2O3)
aluminum-oxide
CAP 2
A1-0104 T 3/16''
A1-1404 T 3/16''
A1-3438 T 1/8''
A1-3945 E 1/16''
A1-3980 T 5/32''
A1-4028 T 3/16''
A1-4126 E 1/16''
F 360
G 0
G 2
A 1
A1-1401 P(MS)
Abramant
Abramax
Abrarex
Abrasit
Activated aluminum oxide
Chemical Function
Filler
Abrasive
Absorbent
Opacifer
Viscosity modifier
Anti-caking agent
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
Cleaning products and household care - oven - oven cleaner; Europe
Europe; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
CEDI
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
Canada; pharmaceutical
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
ALUMINIUM OXIDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL4594252
Max Phase
-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alumina allowed in the EU?
Alumina EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Alumina do in cosmetics?
Alumina functions as: Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking, Bulking, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 1344-28-1.
Is Alumina used outside cosmetics?
Alumina 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.
Does Alumina have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Alumina is classified GHS Danger (H335, H372) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Alumina compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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