Is Gallic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Gallic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Gallic Acid
Also known as: 3-10-00-02070, BRN 2050274, EINECS 205-749-9, Gallic acid, tech., Kyselina 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoova (+4 more)
INCI: GALLIC ACID
Gallic Acid (CAS 149-91-7) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as Chelating agent (secondary); antioxidant; antimicrobial synergist. NOAEL 119 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Gallic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H319, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Chelating agent (secondary); antioxidant; antimicrobial synergist
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid
InChIKey
LNTHITQWFMADLM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted without restriction in cosmetics. Naturally derived from plant sources (galls, tea, oak bark). Widely used in natural and botanical formulations. No adverse FDA findings.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Gallic Acid.
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.
Hazard Statements
No hazard classification according to GHS criteria
Short-term Exposure Effects
See Notes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
See Notes.
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 Gallic Acid across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
3 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =119 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | EFSA |
| LD50 | =5000 mg/kg | Rabbit | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =5000 mg/kg | Rabbit | oral | - | ECHA |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
KR Korea MFDS Annex 2 (Restricted)
Category: Restricted. Max: 산화염모제에 4.0%.
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
ICSC Safety Card
1174
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Solid irritating to skin, and eyes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Astringent
Flavouring and nutrient
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Gallic Acid — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
natural-derived
polyphenol
antioxidant
chelator-secondary
iron-discoloration-risk
hpbcd-compatible
anti-biofilm
botanical
Known Synonyms
3-10-00-02070
BRN 2050274
EINECS 205-749-9
Gallic acid, tech.
Kyselina 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoova
Kyselina gallova
UNII-632XD903SP
3,4,5-Trihydroxy-Benzoate
3,4,5-Trihydroxy-Benzoic acid
Chemical Function
Antioxidant
Astringent
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
Europe
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
GALLIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL288114
Max Phase
2
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Gallic acid
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gallic Acid allowed in the EU?
Gallic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Gallic Acid do in cosmetics?
Gallic Acid functions as: Chelating agent (secondary); antioxidant; antimicrobial synergist. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 149-91-7.
Is Gallic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Gallic Acid also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Gallic Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Gallic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H319, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Gallic Acid 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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