Is Aluminum Tristearate safe in cosmetics?
Aluminum Tristearate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Excellent
Cosmetic Ingredient
Aluminum Tristearate
Also known as: Octadecanoic acid, aluminum salt, Stearic acid, aluminum salt, Aluminum Stearate 900, Liga TR, SA 100 (stearate) (+5 more)
INCI: ALUMINUM TRISTEARATE
Aluminum Tristearate (CAS 637-12-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizing, opacifying, anticaking agent. 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 data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 637-12-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizing, opacifying, anticaking agent
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
aluminum tris(octadecanoate)
InChIKey
CEGOLXSVJUTHNZ-UHFFFAOYSA-K
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR-reviewed — assessed as safe in present practices of use and concentration. FDA permits in cosmetics.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Aluminum Tristearate.
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
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
mineral_clay
{"cas_number": "637-12-7", "ingredient_class": "other", "chemical_formula": "Al(C18H35O2)3", "mineral_origin": "synthetic", "particle_size_range_um": "1-20", "surface_area_m2_per_g": "2-10", "crystal_structure": "lamellar", "color_appearance": "white", "opacity": "opaque", "refractive_index": "1.01", "oil_absorption_g_per_100g": "18-55", "water_absorption_capacity": "low", "surface_charge_at_pH_7"…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
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 insoluble compounds/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Irritation of the eyes has been noted in patients who have been exposed /to aluminum alkyls/. /Aluminum alkyls/ | May cause minor irritation to lungs or eyes. /Aluminum (dust or powder)/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-adhesive/cohesive
Anti-caking agent
Defoamer
Dispersing agent
Dye
Emulsifier
Filler
Heat stabilizer
Lubricating agent
Opacifer
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Aluminum Tristearate.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Octadecanoic acid, aluminum salt
Stearic acid, aluminum salt
Aluminum Stearate 900
Liga TR
SA 100 (stearate)
SA 1500 (stearate)
Aluminum octadecanoate
Aluminum stearate, tribasic
EINECS 211-279-5
Monoaluminum stearate
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Viscosity modifier
Dye
Emulsifier
Opacifer
Anti-caking agent
Stabilizing agent
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Canada; pharmaceutical
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aluminum Tristearate allowed in the EU?
Aluminum Tristearate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Aluminum Tristearate do in cosmetics?
Aluminum Tristearate functions as: Viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilizing, opacifying, anticaking agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 637-12-7.
Is Aluminum Tristearate used outside cosmetics?
Aluminum Tristearate also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Aluminum Tristearate 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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