Is Ammonium Thioglycolate safe in cosmetics?
Ammonium Thioglycolate has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Ammonium Thioglycolate
Also known as: Acetic acid, mercapto-, monoammonium salt (1:1), Ammonium mercaptoacetate, Thioglycolic acid ammonium salt, Ammonium thioglycollate, EINECS 226-540-9 (+5 more)
INCI: AMMONIUM THIOGLYCOLATE
Ammonium Thioglycolate (CAS 5421-46-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Reducing agent for permanent waving, hair straightening, and depilation. NOAEL 19 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 8%. 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 5421-46-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ammonium Thioglycolate is classified GHS Danger (H290, H301, H317, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 8%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Reducing agent for permanent waving, hair straightening, and depilation
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
8%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; FDA does not set max concentrations but CIR has reviewed it. Widely used in OTC perms and depilatories.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ammonium Thioglycolate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Ammonium Thioglycolate 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
100 - 1,000 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.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | restricted | 8.0 | hair waving products (rinse-off) |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Depilatory
Hair waving or straightening
Reducing agent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ammonium Thioglycolate.
Known Synonyms
Acetic acid, mercapto-, monoammonium salt (1:1)
Ammonium mercaptoacetate
Thioglycolic acid ammonium salt
Ammonium thioglycollate
EINECS 226-540-9
NSC 6954
Thiofaco A-50
Thioglycollic acid, ammonium salt
UNII-6P9E788VZZ
Acetic acid, 2-mercapto-, ammonium salt (1:1)
Chemical Function
Reducing agent
Depilatory
Hair waving or straightening
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3187776
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ammonium Thioglycolate allowed in the EU?
Ammonium Thioglycolate EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 8%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ammonium Thioglycolate do in cosmetics?
Ammonium Thioglycolate functions as: Reducing agent for permanent waving, hair straightening, and depilation. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 5421-46-5.
Is Ammonium Thioglycolate used outside cosmetics?
Ammonium Thioglycolate 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 Ammonium Thioglycolate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ammonium Thioglycolate is classified GHS Danger (H290, H301, H317, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 8%.
Compliance Tools
Check Ammonium Thioglycolate 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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