Is Ferric Chloride safe in cosmetics?
Ferric Chloride has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 5 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Ferric Chloride
Also known as: Iron(III) chloride (Ferric chloride) (Iron chloride), Caswell No. 459, EINECS 231-729-4, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 034901, Iron chloride (+7 more)
INCI: FERRIC CHLORIDE
Ferric Chloride (CAS 7705-08-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Astringent. NOAEL 95 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. 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 7705-08-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ferric Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H314, H315, H318, H412, H335, H371, H304) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Astringent
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
trichloroiron
InChIKey
RBTARNINKXHZNM-UHFFFAOYSA-K
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — no specific CFR cosmetic restriction
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ferric Chloride.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
5 study endpoints found for Ferric Chloride. 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 | 336 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Carcinogenicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =95 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =108 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =277 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =314 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Ferric Chloride across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
1499
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Dust: Irritating to eyes, nose and throat. If inhaled will cause coughing or difficult breathing. Solid: Will burn skin and eyes. | Inhalation of ferric salts as dusts and mists is irritating to the respiratory tract. Ferric salts are regarded as skin irritants. /Iron salts/ | If inhaled, iron is a local irritant to the lung and gastrointestinal tract. /Iron compounds/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Astringent
Chemical reaction regulator
Flavouring and nutrient
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ferric Chloride.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Ferric Chloride by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
5
Lowest NOAEL
95 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
336 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
Iron(III) chloride (Ferric chloride) (Iron chloride)
Caswell No. 459
EINECS 231-729-4
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 034901
Iron chloride
Iron sesquichloride
Natural molysite
Chlorure ferrique
Chlorure perrique
Perchlorure de fer
FeCl3
[FeCl3]
Chemical Function
Astringent
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Chemical reaction regulator
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Australia
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
fracking; water
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
pharmaceutical
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA count match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Adverse Event Associations
3
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ferric Chloride allowed in the EU?
Ferric Chloride EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ferric Chloride do in cosmetics?
Ferric Chloride functions as: Astringent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7705-08-0.
What is the NOAEL for Ferric Chloride?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Ferric Chloride is 336 mg/kg bw/day based on a Carcinogenicity study via oral route in rat. A total of 5 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Ferric Chloride used outside cosmetics?
Ferric Chloride 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 Ferric Chloride have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ferric Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H314, H315, H318, H412, H335, H371, H304) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Ferric Chloride compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
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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FERULA GALBANIFLUA GUM EXTRACT
Good
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Antimicrobial, Perfuming, Tonic
FICUS RACEMOSA BARK EXTRACT
Good
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Skin Protecting
FICUS RELIGIOSA BARK EXTRACT
Good
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Skin Protecting
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