Is Carbocysteine safe in cosmetics?
Carbocysteine has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Carbocysteine
Also known as: S-Carbocysteine, (R)-S-(Carboxymethyl)cysteine, (L)-2-Amino-3-(carboxymethylthio)propionic acid, BRN 1725012, S-Carboxylmethyl-L-cysteine (+15 more)
INCI: CARBOCYSTEINE
Carbocysteine (CAS 638-23-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Mucolytic/expectorant (pharmaceutical); potential cosmetic use as antioxidant. 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 638-23-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Carbocysteine is classified GHS Danger (H314) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Mucolytic/expectorant (pharmaceutical); potential cosmetic use as antioxidant or hair conditioning agent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(2R)-2-amino-3-(carboxymethylsulfanyl)propanoic acid
InChIKey
GBFLZEXEOZUWRN-VKHMYHEASA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Classified as a drug ingredient (expectorant). Not a standard cosmetic ingredient.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Carbocysteine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Pharmaceutical
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Carbocysteine.
Known Synonyms
S-Carbocysteine
(R)-S-(Carboxymethyl)cysteine
(L)-2-Amino-3-(carboxymethylthio)propionic acid
BRN 1725012
S-Carboxylmethyl-L-cysteine
3-(Carboxymethylthio)-L-alanine
EINECS 211-327-5
Muciclar
Mucocis
Mucodyne
NSC 14156
Reomucil
Rhinathiol
Rinatiol
Thiodril
Transbronchin
Bronchokod
Lisomucil
Superthiol sirup
Mucojet sirup
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Pharmaceutical
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; Personal care; Substances in PCP - Canada (4/2014)
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
CARBOCYSTEINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL396416
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
1093
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carbocysteine allowed in the EU?
Carbocysteine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carbocysteine do in cosmetics?
Carbocysteine functions as: Mucolytic/expectorant (pharmaceutical); potential cosmetic use as antioxidant or hair conditioning agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 638-23-3.
Is Carbocysteine used outside cosmetics?
Carbocysteine 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 Carbocysteine have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Carbocysteine is classified GHS Danger (H314) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Carbocysteine 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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