Also known as: 1,2,3-Propanetriol, 1,2,3-Trihydroxypropane, Propanetriol, 4-01-00-02751, 90 Technical glycerine (+14 more)
INCI: GLYCERIN
Glycerin (CAS 56-81-5) is a cosmetic humectant functioning as Humectant that attracts water from dermis and environment into the epidermis. NOAEL 800 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; 5 safety opinions reviewed (CIR Safety Assessment). 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.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Glycerin.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
10 study endpoints found for Glycerin. 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 | =1 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =1 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =1 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =1 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =950 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | oral toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
| NOAEL | =950 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | oral toxicity | CIR Safety Assessment |
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
(Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data. The Panel concluded that glycerin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. Keywords cosmetics, safety, glycerin Introduction This is a review of the available scientific
(Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data. The Panel concluded that glycerin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. Keywords cosmetics, safety, glycerin Introduction This is a review of the available scientific
(Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data. The Panel concluded that glycerin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. Keywords cosmetics, safety, glycerin Introduction This is a review of the available scientific
(Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data. The Panel concluded that glycerin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. Keywords cosmetics, safety, glycerin Introduction This is a review of the available scientific
(Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data. The Panel concluded that glycerin is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. Keywords cosmetics, safety, glycerin Introduction This is a review of the available scientific
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Glycerin across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Glycerin, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Source: CIR Expert Panel
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =1180 mg/kg-day | Rabbit | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1280 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1280 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1310 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1310 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1180 mg/kg-day | Rabbit | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1180 mg/kg-day | Rabbit | oral | - | ECHA |
| LC50 | >0.1425 mg/L | Rat | inhalation | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =7750 mg/kg | Guinea Pig | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =4090 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005) | Gerberick et al. (1992); DPRA: Gerberick et al. 2007 [DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfm064] | Bauch et al. 2012 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2012.05.013]; KS: Emter et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2010.03.009] | Bauch et al. 2012 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2012.05.013]; hCLAT: Ashikaga et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1177/026119291003800403] | Bauch et al. 2012 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2012.05.013]
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | - | 0 | - | - | - |
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCC | halal_prohibited | - | All cosmetics |
| GCC | halal_restricted | - | All cosmetics |
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
Source: Roberts Cheruvu Mendeley 2022
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Cream | 3–8 | 25 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Body Lotion | 3–7 | 20 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Shampoo | 1–3 | 5 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Serum | 5–10 | 25 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Hand Cream | 5–12 | 30 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Cleanser | 1–5 | 10 | CIR Safety Assessment |
Preliminary editorial summary for Glycerin — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Public NOAEL study rows linked to Glycerin by CAS number or substance name.
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg/d, mg/kg, mg/kg bw/day
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
For use as a surface-finishing agent and/or texturizer, creating a thin and edible physical barrier against moisture loss and oxidation to protect the freshness and extend the shelf-life of agricultural products such as fruits (e.g., berries, grapes, stone...
View full food safety profile →Glycerin has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database. This ingredient has been reviewed by CIR Safety Assessment.
Glycerin EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
Glycerin functions as: Humectant that attracts water from dermis and environment into the epidermis. Also functions as solvent and viscosity modifier. Does not form an occlusive film.. It is classified as a Humectant in our database. CAS number: 56-81-5.
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Glycerin is =1 mg/kg/d based on a developmental toxicity study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: CIR Safety Assessment.
Glycerin 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.
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