Poor Cosmetic Ingredient

Enterococcus faecalis

INCI: ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS

CAS Number
Not assigned [^1_12]
Function
Humectant
Safety Rating
POOR

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status prohibited
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes Permitted — no specific CFR restriction; FDA has not issued guidance specifically banning live bacteria in cosmetics

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

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
not established
Dermal Absorption
low
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

CRITICAL: E. faecalis carries intrinsic vancomycin resistance genes and is classified as a BSL-2 pathogen; causes endocarditis, UTIs, and bacteremia. SCCS preliminary opinion (2022) flagged safety concerns with live microorganisms in cosmetics. Confirmation required whether product contains viable cells or inactivated biomass; if viable, poses extremely high risk for immunocompromised users.

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Concern Level: High

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Enterococcus faecalis safe in cosmetics?

CRITICAL: E. faecalis carries intrinsic vancomycin resistance genes and is classified as a BSL-2 pathogen; causes endocarditis, UTIs, and bacteremia. SCCS preliminary opinion (2022) flagged safety concerns with live microorganisms in cosmetics. Confirmation required whether product contains viable cells or inactivated biomass; if viable, poses extremely high risk for immunocompromised users. The EU classifies Enterococcus faecalis as "prohibited". Safety rating: POOR.

Is Enterococcus faecalis allowed in the EU?

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

What does Enterococcus faecalis do in cosmetics?

Enterococcus faecalis functions as: Humectant. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: Not assigned [^1_12].

What is the Margin of Safety for Enterococcus faecalis?

not established 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.

Compliance Tools

Check Enterococcus faecalis compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
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Substance Compliance
Check compliance across 55 jurisdictions
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
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Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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