Is Astaxanthin safe in cosmetics?
Astaxanthin has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Astaxanthin
Also known as: (3S,3'S)-3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4,4'-dione, (3S,3'S)-, beta,beta-Carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-dihydroxy-, (3S,3'S)-, 3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta-carotene-4,4'-dione, β,β-Carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-dihydroxy-, (3S,3'S)- (+14 more)
INCI: ASTAXANTHIN
Astaxanthin (CAS 472-61-7) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as Antioxidant; carotenoid; singlet oxygen quencher (approximately 6,000× more. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
Function
Antioxidant; carotenoid; singlet oxygen quencher (approximately 6,000× more potent than vitamin C); free radical scavenger (HAT mechanism); photoprotective; anti-inflammatory; lipophilic skin active
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No FDA restrictions for topical cosmetic use. GRAS for dietary supplement use. No specific cosmetic concentration limits. Clinical photoprotection evidence from 4 mg/day oral supplementation — topical and oral routes have separate evidence bases.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Astaxanthin.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Astaxanthin, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
1-3%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
596.8 Da
Log P
12.5
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
0.5-2%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Mar Drugs 2011
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
1 toxicity value from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =14 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | EFSA |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Flavouring and nutrient
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Astaxanthin — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
antioxidant
carotenoid
singlet-oxygen-quencher
photoprotective
lipophilic
encapsulation-recommended
orange-pigment
anti-pollution
hat-mechanism
anti-aging
oral-evidence-strong
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
(3S,3'S)-3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4,4'-dione
3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4,4'-dione, (3S,3'S)-
beta,beta-Carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-dihydroxy-, (3S,3'S)-
3,3'-Dihydroxy-beta-carotene-4,4'-dione
β,β-Carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-dihydroxy-, (3S,3'S)-
β-Carotene-4,4'-dione, 3,3'-dihydroxy-, all-trans-
Astabio AR 1
Astabio AR 5
Astaxanthin, all-trans-, (3S,3'S)-
(3S,3'S)-all-trans-Astaxanthin
(3S,3'S)-Astaxanthin
all-trans-(3S,3'S)-Astaxanthin
all-trans-Astaxanthin
Aquasta
Astacarox
AstaREAL
Astareal ACT
Astared
Astax S
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Dye
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
ASTAXANTHIN
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1255871
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
343
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Astaxanthin
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Astaxanthin allowed in the EU?
Astaxanthin EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Astaxanthin do in cosmetics?
Astaxanthin functions as: Antioxidant; carotenoid; singlet oxygen quencher (approximately 6,000× more potent than vitamin C); free radical scavenger (HAT mechanism); photoprotective; anti-inflammatory; lipophilic skin active. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 472-61-7.
Is Astaxanthin used outside cosmetics?
Astaxanthin also appears in pharmaceutical and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Astaxanthin compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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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