Excellent Emollient NOAEL Data Dermal Penetration

Dimethicone

INCI: DIMETHICONE

CAS Number
9006-65-9
Function
emollient, skin-conditioning, film-forming, skin protectant, occlusive
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ EU Status permitted
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ US Status permitted
US Notes FDA OTC skin protectant active ingredient at 1โ€“30% under Monograph M016 (21 CFR ยง347.10); CIR Final Amended Report March 2022 concludes safe for 30 methicone/dimethicone polymers as used

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
negligible
Sensitization
none

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Toxicological Studies

10 study endpoints found for Dimethicone. 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 500 mg/kg bw/day oral rat Subchronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 300 mg/kg bw/day oral dog Subchronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 300 mg/kg bw/day oral dog Subchronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 1250 mg/kg bw/day oral mouse Chronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 1250 mg/kg bw/day oral mouse Chronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 1250 mg/kg bw/day oral mouse Carcinogenicity COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 1000 mg/kg bw/day oral rat Developmental COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 1000 mg/kg bw/day oral rat Subchronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 500 mg/kg bw/day oral rat Subchronic COSMOS_DB
NOAEL 500 mg/kg bw/day oral rat Subchronic COSMOS_DB

Dermal Penetration Profile

Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Dimethicone, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.

Absorption %
0%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
surface only
Molecular Weight
7500-9000 Da
Log P
6.8
Systemic Absorption
no
Topical Bioavailability
0%
Safety Margin Factor
none

Source: SCCS/1241/10, CIR

Expert Verdict

One of the most extensively safety-tested cosmetic ingredients. CIR Final Amended Report (March 2022) covers 30 polymers and concludes safe as used except in airbrush delivery (insufficient data). FDA OTC-approved skin protectant at 1โ€“30%. Creates occlusive but breathable barrier; does not disrupt stratum corneum lipid microstructure. Non-comedogenic per FDA classification. Medical-grade silicone for scar management regulated as FDA Class I device. Not PBT/vPvB โ€” not subject to D4/D5/D6 EU restrictions. Avoid only in airbrush applications pending further safety data.

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Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

cir-approved fda-otc-active skin-protectant non-volatile-silicone non-comedogenic scar-management high-molecular-weight genotoxicity-negative carcinogenicity-negative cosmos-prohibited airbrush-insufficient-data eu_children_restricted

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dimethicone safe in cosmetics?

One of the most extensively safety-tested cosmetic ingredients. CIR Final Amended Report (March 2022) covers 30 polymers and concludes safe as used except in airbrush delivery (insufficient data). FDA OTC-approved skin protectant at 1โ€“30%. Creates occlusive but breathable barrier; does not disrupt stratum corneum lipid microstructure. Non-comedogenic per FDA classification. Medical-grade silicone for scar management regulated as FDA Class I device. Not PBT/vPvB โ€” not subject to D4/D5/D6 EU restrictions. Avoid only in airbrush applications pending further safety data. The EU classifies Dimethicone as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.

Is Dimethicone allowed in the EU?

Dimethicone EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Dimethicone do in cosmetics?

Dimethicone functions as: emollient, skin-conditioning, film-forming, skin protectant, occlusive. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 9006-65-9.

What is the Margin of Safety for Dimethicone?

adequate The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

What is the NOAEL for Dimethicone?

The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Dimethicone is 500 mg/kg bw/day based on a Subchronic study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.

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