Is Carnosine safe in cosmetics?
Carnosine has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Carnosine
Also known as: beta-Alanyl-L-histidine, L-Histidine, β-alanyl-, β-Alanyl-L-histidine, (2S)-2-(3-Aminopropanoylamino)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid, β-Alanylhistidine (+9 more)
INCI: CARNOSINE
Carnosine (CAS 305-84-0) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Antioxidant; anti-pollution active; AhR pathway modulator; carbonyl scavenger;. 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 305-84-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant; anti-pollution active; AhR pathway modulator; carbonyl scavenger; anti-glycation agent; dipeptide (beta-alanyl-L-histidine); metal chelator; anti-aging active
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted in cosmetics; no FDA restrictions; also sold as dietary supplement without restrictions; no formal CIR cosmetic assessment; used in anti-aging, anti-glycation, and anti-pollution formulations
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Carnosine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Carnosine, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
5-10%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum/epidermis
Molecular Weight
226.2 Da
Log P
-2.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
3-8%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2012
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
1 toxicity value from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >14930 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
10 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "anti_acne_mechanism": "anti_inflammatory", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "0-5", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "No limit", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne": "No", "eu_cosmetic_restriction_a…
amino_acid
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "ingredient_class": "dipeptide", "source_origin": "synthetic", "molecular_weight_range_Da": "226", "amino_acid_composition_key": "beta_alanine_histidine", "charge_at_pH_5_5": "cationic", "water_solubility": "soluble", "oil_solubility": "insoluble", "film_forming_ability": "poor", "moisture_binding_capacity": "moderate", "NMF_component": "no", "skin_penetration_depth": "d…
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "antioxidant-protection, anti-wrinkle, barrier-repair", "mechanism_of_action": "Dipeptide antioxidant, anti-glycation, prevents carbonylation of proteins", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis, dermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Indirect - prevents degradation", "elastin_protection": "Yes - prevents glycation", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "8-15", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "12", …
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "ingredient_class": "anti_glycation/antioxidant_pollution_shield", "primary_mechanism": "anti_glycation/anti_carbonylation", "pollution_types_targeted": "PM2_5/oxidative_stress/carbonyl_stress", "IR_A_protection": "no", "visible_light_protection": "no", "digital_screen_protection_claim": "no", "PAH_neutralization": "no", "ozone_protection": "no", "carbonyl_stress_reducti…
antioxidant
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "antioxidant_class": "thiol", "chemical_subclass": "dipeptide", "molecular_weight_daltons": "226.23", "orac_value_umol_te_per_g": "950", "dpph_radical_scavenging_ic50_ug_per_ml": "45-70", "abts_trolox_equivalent": "0.55", "singlet_oxygen_quenching": "moderate", "superoxide_dismutase_mimetic": "moderate", "hydroxyl_radical_scavenging": "moderate", "lipid_peroxidation_inhi…
dermal_absorption
{"molecular_weight_da": "226.2", "log_p_value": "-2.8", "skin_penetration_level": "stratum-corneum", "penetration_depth": "stratum corneum/epidermis", "absorption_pct": "5-10", "systemic_absorption": "minimal", "penetration_enhancer": "no", "occlusion_effect": "no", "vehicle_dependent": "yes", "skin_barrier_effect": "strengthens", "bioavailability_topical_pct": "3-8", "safety_margin_factor": "low"…
humectant
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "ingredient_class": "humectant/amino_acid/osmolyte", "molecular_weight_Da": "226.23", "chemical_type": "amino_acid", "water_binding_mechanism": "hydrogen_bonding", "water_holding_capacity_g_per_g": "0.2-0.4", "hygroscopicity_at_50_RH": "moderate", "hygroscopicity_at_80_RH": "good", "NMF_component": "no", "NMF_percentage_natural": "0", "TEWL_reduction_pct": "10-18", "skin…
peptide
{"cas_number": "305-84-0", "trade_name": "Carnosine / Beta-alanyl-L-histidine", "peptide_sequence_amino_acids": "β-Ala-His", "peptide_length_residues": "2", "molecular_weight_daltons": "226.2", "peptide_class": "signal", "mechanism_of_action": "Anti-glycation, antioxidant, prevents protein carbonylation, collagen protection", "target_protein_or_receptor": "AGE inhibition", "collagen_stimulation_ty…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Carnosine.
Regulatory Flags
anti-pollution
ahr-modulator
ahr-96pct-reduction
carbonyl-scavenger
anti-glycation
metal-chelator
melatonin-synergy
night-cream-active
anti-aging
endogenous-dipeptide
Known Synonyms
beta-Alanyl-L-histidine
L-Histidine, β-alanyl-
β-Alanyl-L-histidine
(2S)-2-(3-Aminopropanoylamino)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid
β-Alanylhistidine
L-Carnosine
N-(β-Alanyl)-L-histidine
2: PN: WO2009033754 PAGE: 98 claimed protein
Dragosine
Ignotin
Ignotine
Karnozin
NSC 524045
Sevitin
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory Lists
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
CARNOSINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL242948
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
19
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carnosine allowed in the EU?
Carnosine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carnosine do in cosmetics?
Carnosine functions as: Antioxidant; anti-pollution active; AhR pathway modulator; carbonyl scavenger; anti-glycation agent; dipeptide (beta-alanyl-L-histidine); metal chelator; anti-aging active. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 305-84-0.
Is Carnosine used outside cosmetics?
Carnosine 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Carnosine 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
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Esculetin
Moderate
Chemical family
Skin conditioning
L-Carnosine
Excellent
Chemical family
Skin conditioning, Antioxidant
CARBONIC ACID
Good
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Not Reported
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