Is EDTA safe in cosmetics?
EDTA has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
EDTA
Also known as: Edetic acid, Glycine, N,N'-1,2-ethanediylbis[N-(carboxymethyl)-, BRN 1716295, Caswell No. 438, Cheelox BF acid (+14 more)
EDTA (CAS 60-00-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Chelating. NOAEL 500 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 60-00-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
EDTA is classified GHS Danger (H319, H332, H373, H320, H361, H372, H402, H412) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl-(carboxymethyl)amino]acetic acid
InChIKey
KCXVZYZYPLLWCC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No specific cosmetic restrictions under FD&C Act or MoCRA; Calcium Disodium EDTA and Disodium EDTA permitted as food additives under 21 CFR 172.120 and 172.135
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for EDTA.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
WARNING
Hazard Statements
May be harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of dust, by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
cir
6 June 2002
Verdict: unknown
NOAEL: 563 mg/kg/day (oral)
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for EDTA across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
8 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOEL | =15 % | Rat | injection | acute | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =15 % | Rat | injection | acute | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =15 % | Rat | injection | acute | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =15 % | Rat | injection | acute | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =400 ppm | Rat | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =1200 ppm | Rat | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =400 ppm | Rat | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| LD50 | =30 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Eye Irrit. 2
Hazard Statements
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation
Inserted via ATP: ATP01
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
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Additional Ingredient Properties
4 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
baby_pediatric
{"cas_number": "60-00-4", "ingredient_class": "other", "pediatric_safety_rating": "good", "minimum_age_months": "6", "neonatal_safe": "yes", "premature_infant_safe": "insufficient_data", "skin_barrier_maturity_consideration": "Tetrasodium EDTA, chelator", "transepidermal_absorption_risk_pediatric": "low", "systemic_exposure_concern_pediatric": "low", "dose_per_kg_body_weight_concern": "Chelator/bu…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "cleansing", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "all", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "neutral", "moisture_protein_balance": "yes", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "not-a-sulfate", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "yes", "color_safe": "neutral", "keratin…
regulatory
{"eu_status": "allowed", "us_status": "allowed"}
synergy
{"inci_name_2": "Citric Acid", "synergy_type": "color-stability", "synergy_description": "Chelators prevent metal-catalyzed color degradation", "combined_benefit": "Enhanced color stability, prevention of discoloration, improved shelf life", "efficacy_multiplier": "2.2x", "mechanism_of_action": "Both chelate metal ions preventing metal-catalyzed oxidation and color changes", "optimal_ratio": "2:1 …
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
0886
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
EDTA irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
DISODIUM EDTA | 1973 | 0-2.5 mg/kg bw | As calcium disodium EDTA; no excess disodium EDTA to remain in foods | NMRS 53/TRS 539-JECFA 17/18 | FAS 5/NMRS 53A-JECFA 17/173
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Binder
Chelating agent
Flavouring and nutrient
Pharmaceutical
Plating agent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for EDTA.
Regulatory Flags
chelating-agent
synthetic
not-cosmos-permitted
penetration-enhancer
poorly-biodegradable
occupational-inhalation-risk
eu_children_restricted
Known Synonyms
Edetic acid
Glycine, N,N'-1,2-ethanediylbis[N-(carboxymethyl)-
BRN 1716295
Caswell No. 438
Cheelox BF acid
EDTA acid
EINECS 200-449-4
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 039101
Ethylenebisiminodiacetic acid
(Ethylenedinitrilo)tetraacetic acid
Hamp-ene acid
Komplexon II
Tetrine acid
Universne acid
Versene acid
Vinkeil 100
Warkeelate acid
Acide ethylenediaminetetracetique
Acidum edeticum
Chemical Function
Chelating agent
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Europe; Vehicle - car interior
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care - body hygiene - body wash
Cleaning products and household care; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - laundry and fabric treatment - laundry stain remover; Europe
Europe; Specialty occupational products
Europe; Personal care - oral and dental care - teeth whitener
Europe; Personal care - oral and dental care - teeth whitener
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water
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
EDETIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL858
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
597
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EDTA allowed in the EU?
EDTA EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does EDTA do in cosmetics?
EDTA functions as: Chelating. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 60-00-4.
Is EDTA classified as hazardous under GHS?
EDTA carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: May be harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation. 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 EDTA used outside cosmetics?
EDTA 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.
Does EDTA have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
EDTA is classified GHS Danger (H319, H332, H373, H320, H361, H372, H402, H412) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check EDTA 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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