Is Carbon Dioxide safe in cosmetics?
Carbon Dioxide has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Carbon Dioxide
Also known as: CO2, AER Fixus, After-damp, Carbon oxide, di-, Carbonica (+14 more)
INCI: CARBOCYSTEINE
Carbon Dioxide (CAS 124-38-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Propellant, viscosity controlling agent in carbonated cosmetic products. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 124-38-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Propellant, viscosity controlling agent in carbonated cosmetic products
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
carbon dioxide
InChIKey
CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). Permitted in cosmetics
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 Dioxide.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
CylinderGas
Hazard Statements
Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated
Short-term Exposure Effects
Rapid evaporation of the liquid may cause frostbite. Inhalation of high levels may cause effects on multiple organs. This may result in acidosis and impaired functions. Exposure at high concentrations could cause asphyxiation. See Notes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance may have effects on the metabolism. This may result in impaired functions.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity (not listed by IARC). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
0021
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Momentary skin contact with dry ice has caused serious frostbites and blisters.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Evaluation
CARBON DIOXIDE | 1985 | NOT SPECIFIED | TRS 733-JECFA 29/39 | NOT PREPARED
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
EU Food Improvement
Food additives
Source: EU Food Improvement Agents
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Biocide
Flavouring and nutrient
Heat transferring agent
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Solvent
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Carbon Dioxide.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
Known Synonyms
CO2
AER Fixus
After-damp
Carbon oxide, di-
Carbonica
Caswell No. 163
EINECS 204-696-9
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 016601
Anhydride carbonique
Kohlendioxyd
Kohlensaure
UNII-142M471B3J
Carbon oxide
E 290
E-290
E290
R-744
[CO2]
methanedione
Chemical Function
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
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; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Australia
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Europe; 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 CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CARBON DIOXIDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1231871
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
2
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Carbon dioxide
E Number
E290
ADI
NOT SPECIFIED mg/kg bw
Food Category
flavor_enhancer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carbon Dioxide allowed in the EU?
Carbon Dioxide EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carbon Dioxide do in cosmetics?
Carbon Dioxide functions as: Propellant, viscosity controlling agent in carbonated cosmetic products. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 124-38-9.
Is Carbon Dioxide classified as hazardous under GHS?
Carbon Dioxide carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated. 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 Dioxide used outside cosmetics?
Carbon Dioxide 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 Dioxide 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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