Excellent Humectant Dermal Penetration

Erythritol

INCI: ERYTHRITOL

CAS Number
149-32-6
Function
Humectant; water activity reduction agent; osmoprotectant; self-preservation contributor
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) for food use. Multiple FDA no questions responses to industry GRAS notifications since 2001. Listed in PCPC INCI Dictionary; permitted for cosmetic use without restrictions under FDA regulations. No specific concentration limits or mandatory labeling requirements apply to cosmetic applications.

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

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
not established
Dermal Absorption
negligible
Sensitization
none

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Dermal Penetration Profile

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

Absorption %
1-3%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
122.1 Da
Log P
-2.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
0.5-2%
Safety Margin Factor
low

Source: Cosmetic Science

Expert Verdict

Erythritol is a four-carbon sugar alcohol polyol used as a humectant and moisturizing agent in cosmetics with a highly favorable toxicological profile, permitted without restriction in the EU and US, negligible expected dermal absorption, and extremely rare IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions reported at less than 1 per million population prevalence.

⚠️
Concern Level: Low

Regulatory Flags

eu-unrestricted no-sccs-opinion no-cir-review gras-fda humectant jecfa_safe

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Erythritol safe in cosmetics?

Erythritol is a four-carbon sugar alcohol polyol used as a humectant and moisturizing agent in cosmetics with a highly favorable toxicological profile, permitted without restriction in the EU and US, negligible expected dermal absorption, and extremely rare IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions reported at less than 1 per million population prevalence. The EU classifies Erythritol as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Erythritol allowed in the EU?

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

What does Erythritol do in cosmetics?

Erythritol functions as: Humectant; water activity reduction agent; osmoprotectant; self-preservation contributor. It is classified as a Humectant in our database. CAS number: 149-32-6.

What is the Margin of Safety for Erythritol?

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 Erythritol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
 🧪
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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