Poor Cosmetic Ingredient NOAEL Data GHS Classified Sensitization Data

Cobalt Chloride

Also known as: Cobaltous chloride, Cobalt chloride,, COBALT (II) CHLORIDE, Cobalt chloride (CoCl2), EINECS 231-589-4 (+5 more)

INCI: COBALT CHLORIDE

Cobalt Chloride (CAS 7646-79-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Historically used as colorant / cosmetic dye (blue). Reported NOAEL =3 mg/kg bw/day in Rat (ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; 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 data.

View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 7646-79-9 →

Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
CAS Number
7646-79-9
View industrial chemical safety profile →
Function
Historically used as colorant / cosmetic dye (blue)
Safety Rating
POOR

Chemistry & Identifiers

Formula
Cl2Co
MW
129.84 g/mol
EC Number
231-589-4
PubChem CID
3032536
IUPAC Name
cobalt(2+) dichloride
InChIKey
GVPFVAHMJGGAJG-UHFFFAOYSA-L
ChEBI: CHEBI:35696 UNII: EVS87XF13W Wikidata: Q407849

Regulatory Status

EU EU Status prohibited
US US Status restricted
US Notes NTP: Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. FDA does not explicitly list it as a permitted cosmetic ingredient. OSHA/ACGIH OEL: 0.02 mg/m³ TWA. Use in cosmetics is effectively precluded by safety data.

For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cobalt Chloride.

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Toxicological Studies

3 study endpoints found for Cobalt Chloride. 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 =3 mg/kg bw/day oral Rat subchronic ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
NOAEL =25 mg/kg bw/day oral Rat reproduction developmental ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
NOAEL =100 mg/kg bw/day oral Rat developmental ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID

GHS Hazard Classification

Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.

Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
Excl markWarnCancerHealth hazEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed May be harmful in contact with skin Causes eye irritation May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled May cause an allergic skin reaction May cause cancer if inhaled Suspected of causing genetic defects May damage fertility or the unborn child May cause damage to thyroid, bone marrow and heart through prolonged or repeated exposure if swallowed Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact may cause skin sensitization. Repeated or prolonged inhalation may cause asthma. Ingestion may cause effects on the heart, bone marrow and thyroid. This substance is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Animal tests show that this substance possibly causes toxic effects upon human reproduction.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and by ingestion.

Sensitization Profile

Contact sensitization data for Cobalt Chloride based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.

Sensitization Rate
very-high
Allergen Class
metal
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
9.2%
Cross-reactivity Group
cobalt-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis

Source: ESSCA 2019/20; NACDG 2021-22

EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification

Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.

Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Health HazardHarmful / IrritantEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Carc. 1B; Muta. 2; Repr. 1B; Acute Tox. 4 *; Resp. Sens. 1; Skin Sens. 1; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
  • H350i
  • H341 Suspected of causing genetic defects
  • H360F ***
  • H302 Harmful if swallowed
  • H334 May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled
  • H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
  • H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
  • H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
Carc. 1B; H350i: C ≥ 0.01%; M = 10

Inserted via ATP: ATP01

Sensitization AOP Dashboard

Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.

DPRA Cys %
30.3%
DPRA Lys %
35%
KeratinoSens IC50
1330.2 µM
GHS: inconclusive

Source: DPRA: Urbisch et al. 2015 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.12.008]; KS: Urbisch et al. 2015 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.12.008]

Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)

Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.

Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: heavy metal
Receptor targets: ERα (metalloestrogen, via Zn-finger displacement)
LOEC: 1 µM
EU status: restricted (SVHC; CMR)

metalloestrogen agonist

ECHA REACH Registration

European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.

Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
Yes (since 28-Oct-2008)
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
SVHC reason: Carcinogenic (Article 57a)
Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC)
Included: 28-Oct-2008
Carcinogenic (Article 57a); Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c)

EU CosIng Annex Listing

European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 453
(EC) 2009/1223
CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 1B(C=>0.01%)

Expanded Jurisdictional Detail

Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.

SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: 453
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (3)
Jurisdiction Status Max % Product Type
IN banned - all cosmetics
ASEAN banned - All cosmetic products prohibited
KR prohibited - -

Additional Ingredient Properties

1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.

allergen_detail
{"eu_allergen_listed": "no", "allergen_class": "metal", "cross_reactivity_group": "cobalt-group", "patch_test_frequency_pct": "9.2", "sensitization_rate": "very-high", "common_reaction_type": "contact-dermatitis", "ifra_restricted": "no", "source": "ESSCA 2019/20; NACDG 2021-22"}

PubChem Annotations

Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.

Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
... There is limited evidence for the carcinogenicity of cobalt(II) chloride in experimental animals. ... Overall Evaluation: Cobalt and cobalt compounds are possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). /Cobalt and cobalt compounds/ | There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of cobalt and cobalt compounds in humans. There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of cobalt metal po
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
The substance irritates the eyes, the skin and the respiratory tract. Inhalation of aerosol may cause asthmatic reactions.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Function Categories & List Membership

Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
No specific technical function
Regulatory List Membership (3)
EU Banned in Cosmetics FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS) EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database

Expert Verdict

Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Cobalt Chloride.

Regulatory Flags

colorant eu_banned_cosmetics fda_food_additive eu_cosing_listed

NOAEL Studies Summary

View details ->

Public NOAEL study rows linked to Cobalt Chloride by CAS number or substance name.

Studies
3
Lowest NOAEL
3 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
100 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID

Known Synonyms

Cobaltous chloride Cobalt chloride, COBALT (II) CHLORIDE Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) EINECS 231-589-4 UNII-EVS87XF13W Kobalt chlorid Kobaltdichlorid cobalt muriate cobaltous chloride anhydrous

Chemical Function

No specific technical function

Regulatory Lists

Canada; pharmaceutical Canada; pharmaceutical Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014) active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue banned; Europe; Personal care food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)

Australian Status

AICIS status: listed

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cobalt Chloride safe in cosmetics?

Cobalt Chloride has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: restricted. 3 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.

Is Cobalt Chloride allowed in the EU?

Cobalt Chloride EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Cobalt Chloride do in cosmetics?

Cobalt Chloride functions as: Historically used as colorant / cosmetic dye (blue). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7646-79-9.

What is the NOAEL for Cobalt Chloride?

The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cobalt Chloride is =3 mg/kg bw/day based on a subchronic study via oral route in Rat. A total of 3 study endpoints are available. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.

Is Cobalt Chloride classified as hazardous under GHS?

Cobalt Chloride carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed May be harmful in contact with skin Causes eye irritation May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled May cause an allergic skin reaction May cause cancer if inhaled Suspected of causing genetic defects May damage fertility or the unborn child May cause damage to thyroid, bone marrow and heart through prolonged or repeated exposure if swallowed Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. 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 Cobalt Chloride used outside cosmetics?

Cobalt Chloride also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.

Does Cobalt Chloride have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?

Cobalt Chloride is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H317, H318, H334, H341, H350, H350i, H360).

Compliance Tools

Check Cobalt Chloride compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Heavy Metal Limits
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