Is Benzophenone safe in cosmetics?
Benzophenone has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: restricted.
POOR
Cosmetic Ingredient
Benzophenone
INCI: BENZOPHENONE
Benzophenone (CAS 119-61-9 [^1_6]) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as UV absorber, masking agent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 119-61-9 [^1_6] →
Function
UV absorber, masking agent
Editorial assessment
POOR
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
Not specifically banned for cosmetics; FDA removed from indirect food additive list (2024); under increasing regulatory scrutiny
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Benzophenone.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Benzophenone — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
prop65
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Benzophenone by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
12
Lowest NOAEL
5 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
59.2 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS DB
ECHA
ECHA
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benzophenone allowed in the EU?
Benzophenone EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Benzophenone do in cosmetics?
Benzophenone functions as: UV absorber, masking agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 119-61-9 [^1_6].
Compliance Tools
Check Benzophenone 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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