Is Glycine safe in cosmetics?
Glycine has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Glycine
Also known as: Amino-acetic acid, Amitone, EINECS 200-272-2, FEMA No. 3287, GLY (+15 more)
INCI: GLYCINE
Glycine (CAS 56-40-6) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Most abundant amino acid in collagen (every third residue in Gly-X-Y triplet). NOAEL 600 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 56-40-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Most abundant amino acid in collagen (every third residue in Gly-X-Y triplet). Improves visible signs of aging, enhances moisture retention, promotes collagen production, strengthens skin, and supports repair and regeneration.
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-aminoacetic acid
InChIKey
DHMQDGOQFOQNFH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Assessed as safe by CIR Expert Panel. GRAS as a direct food additive.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Glycine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Glycine across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Glycine, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
2-5%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
75.1 Da
Log P
-3.2
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
1-3%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: CIR
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
2 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | =4920 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | =7930 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
10 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "56-40-6", "anti_acne_mechanism": "anti_inflammatory", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "0-5", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "No limit", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne": "No", "eu_cosmetic_restriction_ac…
amino_acid
{"cas_number": "56-40-6", "ingredient_class": "amino_acid", "source_origin": "synthetic", "molecular_weight_range_Da": "75", "amino_acid_composition_key": "pure_glycine", "isoelectric_point": "6.0", "charge_at_pH_5_5": "zwitterionic", "water_solubility": "soluble", "oil_solubility": "insoluble", "film_forming_ability": "poor", "moisture_binding_capacity": "moderate", "NMF_component": "yes", "skin_…
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "collagen-boosting, hydration-plumping", "mechanism_of_action": "Building block for proteins, NMF component", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Yes", "elastin_protection": "Mild", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "8-15", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "8", "sample_size": "25", "double_blind": "Yes", "placebo_controlled": "Yes", "published_journal": "Int J Co…
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "56-40-6", "ingredient_class": "other", "primary_mechanism": "barrier_reinforcement", "pollution_types_targeted": "PM2_5", "IR_A_protection": "no", "visible_light_protection": "no", "digital_screen_protection_claim": "no", "PAH_neutralization": "no", "ozone_protection": "no", "mitochondrial_protection": "no", "Nrf2_activation": "no", "AhR_pathway_modulation": "no", "NF_kB_inhibition…
concentration
{"min_concentration_pct": "0.1", "max_concentration_pct": "2.0", "typical_concentration_pct": "1.0", "product_type": "Serum", "function_at_concentration": "Collagen component, hydration", "source": "Clinical literature; Supplier TDS"}
dermal_absorption
{"molecular_weight_da": "75.1", "log_p_value": "-3.2", "skin_penetration_level": "surface", "penetration_depth": "stratum corneum", "absorption_pct": "2-5", "systemic_absorption": "minimal", "penetration_enhancer": "no", "occlusion_effect": "no", "vehicle_dependent": "yes", "skin_barrier_effect": "neutral", "bioavailability_topical_pct": "1-3", "safety_margin_factor": "low", "source": "CIR"}
hair_care
{"hair_function": "protein-treatment", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "all", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "protein", "moisture_protein_balance": "yes", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "not-a-sulfate", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "yes", "color_safe": "strengthen…
humectant
{"cas_number": "56-40-6", "ingredient_class": "humectant/NMF_component/amino_acid", "molecular_weight_Da": "75.07", "chemical_type": "amino_acid", "water_binding_mechanism": "hydrogen_bonding/hygroscopic", "water_holding_capacity_g_per_g": "0.3-0.5", "hygroscopicity_at_50_RH": "moderate", "hygroscopicity_at_80_RH": "good", "NMF_component": "yes", "NMF_percentage_natural": "1-2", "TEWL_reduction_pc…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
1421
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
AMINOACETIC ACID | 2004 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | Not evaluated using the Procedure for the Safety Evaluation of Flavouring Agents; the substance is a macronutrient and a normal component of protein and, as such, human exposure through food is orders of magnitude higher than the anticipated level of exposure from use as a flavouring agent | T
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
GLYCINE | 2004 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | Not evaluated using the Procedure for the Safety Evaluation of Flavouring Agents; the substance is a macronutrient and a normal component of protein and, as such, human exposure through food is orders of magnitude higher than the anticipated level of exposure from use as a flavouring agent | TRS 928-JE
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-static agent
Antioxidant
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Humectant
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Softener and conditioner
Solvent
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (4)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Glycine.
Regulatory Flags
eu_children_restricted
epa_safer_alternative
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
Known Synonyms
Amino-acetic acid
Amitone
EINECS 200-272-2
FEMA No. 3287
GLY
L-Glycine
Glycine, non-medical
Hampshire glycine
Sucre de gelatine
Aminoazijnzuur
Aminoacetic acid 1.5% in plastic container
Glycine 1.5% in plastic container
Acide aminoacetique
Acido aminoacetico
Acidum aminoaceticum
Glicina
Glycinum
UNII-TE7660XO1C
2-Aminoacetate
2-aminoethanoic acid
Chemical Function
Anti-static agent
Softener and conditioner
pH regulating agent
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Australia
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
animal_products
Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
SCIL (9/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Personal care; Southeast Asia
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
GLYCINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL773
Max Phase
4
Adverse Event Associations
42
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glycine allowed in the EU?
Glycine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Glycine do in cosmetics?
Glycine functions as: Most abundant amino acid in collagen (every third residue in Gly-X-Y triplet). Improves visible signs of aging, enhances moisture retention, promotes collagen production, strengthens skin, and supports repair and regeneration.. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 56-40-6.
Is Glycine used outside cosmetics?
Glycine 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Glycine 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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