Excellent Antioxidant

Epicatechin

INCI: EPICATECHIN

CAS Number
490-46-0
Function
Antioxidant; green tea catechin; HAT/SET free radical scavenger; anti-inflammatory; minor catechin component of green tea extract
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ EU Status permitted
EU Max Conc. 0.5โ€“5% (as component of green tea extract)
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ US Status permitted
US Notes No FDA restrictions. Typically present as part of green tea or cocoa extract rather than as isolated ingredient. No specific CIR final report. Generally regarded as safe at cosmetic use concentrations based on dietary safety data.

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

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
low
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Minor catechin component of green tea and cocoa extracts with HAT/SET antioxidant mechanism. Less potent than EGCG but contributes to total polyphenol antioxidant capacity of extract-based formulations. No regulatory restrictions; typically delivered as part of standardized green tea extract. Evidence base relies on dietary safety and in vitro assays.

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Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

antioxidant polyphenol green-tea catechin hat-set-mechanism hydrophilic extract-component minor-catechin natural-source

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Epicatechin safe in cosmetics?

Minor catechin component of green tea and cocoa extracts with HAT/SET antioxidant mechanism. Less potent than EGCG but contributes to total polyphenol antioxidant capacity of extract-based formulations. No regulatory restrictions; typically delivered as part of standardized green tea extract. Evidence base relies on dietary safety and in vitro assays. The EU classifies Epicatechin as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Epicatechin allowed in the EU?

Epicatechin EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.5โ€“5% (as component of green tea extract). This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Epicatechin do in cosmetics?

Epicatechin functions as: Antioxidant; green tea catechin; HAT/SET free radical scavenger; anti-inflammatory; minor catechin component of green tea extract. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 490-46-0.

What is the Margin of Safety for Epicatechin?

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.

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