Is Carbon safe in cosmetics?
Carbon has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Carbon
Also known as: ACTIVATED CARBON, Acticarbone, Adsorbit, AG 3, AG 5 (+15 more)
Carbon (CAS 7440-44-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Alloying element; Degradant/impurity; Dye; Filler; Hardener; No specific. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 10%; GHS signal word DANGER. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 7440-44-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Alloying element; Degradant/impurity; Dye; Filler; Hardener; No specific technical function; Processing aids not otherwise specified
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
methane
InChIKey
OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES
C
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
10%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted as a colorant with restrictions (not for use in eye area in some forms)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Carbon.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
FlamFlame
Hazard Statements
Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | dermal | acute | ECHA |
| NOAEL | >=1051 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic (developmental) | ECHA |
| NOAEL | >=994 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic (developmental) | ECHA |
| NOAEL | >=1521 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic (developmental) | ECHA |
| NOAEL | >=859 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic (developmental) | ECHA |
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | dermal | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | dermal | acute | ECHA |
| LEL | =10 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rabbit | dermal | acute | ECHA |
| LEL | >4.6 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | - | ECHA |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
ICSC Safety Card
0702
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
It can cause a dust irritation, particularly to the eyes and mucous membranes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
DECOLOURIZING CARBON | 1987 | NOT LIMITED | TRS 759-JECFA 31/25 | FAS 70.39/NMRS 48A-JECFA 14/79 (1970)
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Alloying element
Degradant/impurity
Dye
Filler
Hardener
No specific technical function
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Carbon.
Regulatory Flags
colorant
Known Synonyms
ACTIVATED CARBON
Acticarbone
Adsorbit
AG 3
AG 5
AK
Aqua nuchar
Calcotone Black
Carbon, colloidal
Caswell No. 161
Cecarbon
CF 8
Colgon BPL
Colgon PCB-D
Colgon PCB 12X30
Conductex
EINECS 231-153-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 016001
Hydrodarco
MA 100
Chemical Function
Dye
Filler
Hardener
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
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 count match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Adverse Event Associations
742
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Vegetable carbon
E Number
E153
ADI
NO ADI ALLOCATED mg/kg bw
Food Category
colorant
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carbon allowed in the EU?
Carbon EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 10%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carbon do in cosmetics?
Carbon functions as: Alloying element; Degradant/impurity; Dye; Filler; Hardener; No specific technical function; Processing aids not otherwise specified. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7440-44-0.
Is Carbon classified as hazardous under GHS?
Carbon carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Carbon used outside cosmetics?
Carbon also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Carbon 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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