Is Silver safe in cosmetics?
Silver has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Poor
Active Ingredient
Silver
INCI: SILVER
Silver (CAS 7440-22-4) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Antimicrobial; preservative co-active; antifungal; anti-biofilm. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited, max Nano silver (1–100 nm): fully banned from Feb 1 2025. Non-nano silver (100 nm–1 mm): restricted from May 1 2026 to toothpaste (≤0.05%), mouthwash (≤0.05%), eye shadow (≤0.2%), lip products (≤0.2%). Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 7440-22-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antimicrobial; preservative co-active; antifungal; anti-biofilm
Safety Rating
POOR
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
EU Max Conc.
Nano silver (1–100 nm): fully banned from Feb 1 2025. Non-nano silver (100 nm–1 mm): restricted from May 1 2026 to toothpaste (≤0.05%), mouthwash (≤0.05%), eye shadow (≤0.2%), lip products (≤0.2%)
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No specific FDA cosmetic ban on colloidal or nano silver as of 2025–2026, but FDA has warned against antibacterial silver product claims. Silver in oral care and topical products remains in legal grey zone with no GRAS classification. Aquatic toxicity and antimicrobial resistance concerns are monitored.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Silver.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Silver.
Regulatory Flags
eu-banned-nano
eu-restricted-non-nano
reg-2024-858
argyria-risk
aquatic-toxic
antimicrobial-resistance-concern
reformulate-required-eu
regulatory-action-required
nano-banned
eu_cosing_listed
Dermal Absorption
View details ->| Absorption % | Method | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 1.76 | method=default; type=in_vitro | - |
| 1.0 | method=measured | - |
| 4.0 | method=measured | - |
| 5.0 | method=measured; type=in_vitro | - |
| 1.76 | method=default | - |
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA count match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Adverse Event Associations
16
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Silver allowed in the EU?
Silver EU regulatory status: prohibited. Maximum allowed concentration: Nano silver (1–100 nm): fully banned from Feb 1 2025. Non-nano silver (100 nm–1 mm): restricted from May 1 2026 to toothpaste (≤0.05%), mouthwash (≤0.05%), eye shadow (≤0.2%), lip products (≤0.2%). This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Silver do in cosmetics?
Silver functions as: Antimicrobial; preservative co-active; antifungal; anti-biofilm. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7440-22-4.
Is Silver used outside cosmetics?
Silver also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Silver 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
Is Silver in Your Products?
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Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Silver in your formulation.