Is Daidzein safe in cosmetics?
Daidzein has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Active Ingredient
Daidzein
Also known as: 4',7-Dihydroxyisoflavone, 4H-1-Benzopyran-4-one, 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-, 7-Hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-benzopyrone, Isoflavone, 4',7-dihydroxy- (8CI), 7,4'-Dihydroxyisoflavone (+5 more)
INCI: DAIDZEIN
Daidzein (CAS 486-66-8) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Skin-conditioning agent, phytoestrogen-class active (ERβ agonist; soy. NOAEL 5 mg/kg bw/day (PDF-verified against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 486-66-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Skin-conditioning agent, phytoestrogen-class active (ERβ agonist; soy isoflavone; precursor to equol via microbial metabolism; collagen and hyaluronic acid support)
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one
InChIKey
ZQSIJRDFPHDXIC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted as cosmetic ingredient; hormonal claims trigger FDA drug classification. Co-occurs with genistein in soy isoflavone extracts. Converted by microbial enzymes to equol (a more potent metabolite). No specific FDA or CIR restrictions at cosmetic concentrations.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Daidzein.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Daidzein across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
SCCS NOAEL Values
NOAEL/LOAEL values cited in official SCCS opinions for Daidzein.
| NOAEL | LOAEL | Route | Species | Study | DA% (SCCS) | Opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg/kg/day | 150 mg/kg/day | Oral | Rat | Developmental/reproductive (Gestational/neonatal period) | 20 | SCCS/1641/22 (2022) |
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Under investigation
Evidence: Moderate
(2024)
Health effects: Yes
Affected pathways: Estrogenic (phytoestrogen)
Regulatory framework: Cosmetics
Source list: II (former)
Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: other
Receptor targets: ERα, ERβ
LOEC: 1 nM
EU status: restricted (max 0.01% leave-on; EU 2024/996)
agonist (ERα, ERβ)
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.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (3)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | restricted | - | - |
| ASEAN | restricted | Updated concentration limits per 2025–2026 ACD revision | Cosmetic products as active |
| MY | restricted (updated limits) | Updated per ACD 2025 revision — lower than previous | All cosmetic products using as active |
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "antioxidant-protection", "mechanism_of_action": "Bioactive compound, specialized mechanism", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis, dermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Mild", "elastin_protection": "Mild", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "8-15", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "12", "sample_size": "35", "double_blind": "No", "placebo_controlled": "Yes", "published_journal": "JAAD, JEADV, Ph…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Daidzein.
Regulatory Flags
phytoestrogen
erb-agonist
equol-precursor
soy-isoflavone
claim-risk-hormonal
menopausal-skin-target
no-concentration-limit
endocrine_disruptor
Known Synonyms
4',7-Dihydroxyisoflavone
4H-1-Benzopyran-4-one, 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-
7-Hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-benzopyrone
Isoflavone, 4',7-dihydroxy- (8CI)
7,4'-Dihydroxyisoflavone
5-18-04-00089
BRN 0231523
EINECS 207-635-4
UNII-6287WC5J2L
4',7-Dihydroxy-Isoflavone
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory Lists
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
DAIDZEIN
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL8145
Max Phase
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
Daidzein
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Daidzein allowed in the EU?
Daidzein EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Daidzein do in cosmetics?
Daidzein functions as: Skin-conditioning agent, phytoestrogen-class active (ERβ agonist; soy isoflavone; precursor to equol via microbial metabolism; collagen and hyaluronic acid support). It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 486-66-8.
Is Daidzein used outside cosmetics?
Daidzein 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 Daidzein 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
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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