Is Carnosic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Carnosic Acid has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Carnosic Acid
Also known as: 4a(2H)-Phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, 1,3,4,9,10,10a-hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-, (4aR,10aS)-, 4a(2H)-Phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, 1,3,4,9,10,10a-hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-, (4aR-trans)-, Podocarpa-8,11,13-trien-17-oic acid, 11,12-dihydroxy-13-isopropyl-, (4aR,10aS)-1,3,4,9,10,10a-Hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-4a(2H)-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, (+)-Carnosic acid (+2 more)
INCI: CARNOSIC ACID
Carnosic Acid (CAS 3650-09-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antioxidant, skin conditioning, preservative booster. Reported NOAEL =563 mg/kg bw/day in Rat (EFSA_OpenFoodTox_EFSA_ReferencePoints.xlsx); 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.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 3650-09-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant, skin conditioning, preservative booster
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(4aR,10aS)-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-propan-2-yl-2,3,4,9,10,10a-hexahydrophenanthrene-4a-carboxylic acid
InChIKey
QRYRORQUOLYVBU-VBKZILBWSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS as rosemary extract component; no cosmetic-specific restrictions
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Carnosic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Carnosic Acid. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =563 mg/kg bw/day | oral: gavage | Rat | subchronic | EFSA_OpenFoodTox_EFSA_ReferencePoints.xlsx |
| NOAEL | =563 mg/kg bw/day | oral: gavage | Rat | subchronic | EFSA_OpenFoodTox_EFSA_ReferencePoints.xlsx |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Carnosic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Carnosic Acid by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
2
Lowest NOAEL
563 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
563 mg/kg bw/day
EFSA_OpenFoodTox_EFSA_ReferencePoints.xlsx
Known Synonyms
4a(2H)-Phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, 1,3,4,9,10,10a-hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-, (4aR,10aS)-
4a(2H)-Phenanthrenecarboxylic acid, 1,3,4,9,10,10a-hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-, (4aR-trans)-
Podocarpa-8,11,13-trien-17-oic acid, 11,12-dihydroxy-13-isopropyl-
(4aR,10aS)-1,3,4,9,10,10a-Hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-4a(2H)-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid
(+)-Carnosic acid
RoseOx
Salvin
Chemical Function
Antioxidant
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
CARNOSIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL484853
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Carnosic acid
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carnosic Acid allowed in the EU?
Carnosic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carnosic Acid do in cosmetics?
Carnosic Acid functions as: Antioxidant, skin conditioning, preservative booster. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 3650-09-7.
What is the NOAEL for Carnosic Acid?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Carnosic Acid is =563 mg/kg bw/day based on a subchronic study via oral: gavage route in Rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: EFSA_OpenFoodTox_EFSA_ReferencePoints.xlsx.
Is Carnosic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Carnosic Acid 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 Carnosic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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