Is Hydroxypropylcellulose safe in cosmetics?
Hydroxypropylcellulose has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Excellent
Cosmetic Ingredient
Hydroxypropylcellulose
INCI: HYDROXYPROPYLCELLULOSE
Hydroxypropylcellulose (CAS 9004-64-2 [^1_3]) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, film forming, viscosity increasing. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 9004-64-2 [^1_3] →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, film forming, viscosity increasing
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; FDA GRAS for food use (21 CFR 172.870); CIR safe as cosmetic ingredient
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Hydroxypropylcellulose.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
3 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
biopolymer
{"cas_number": "9004-64-2", "polymer_class": "cellulose_derivative", "botanical_source": "Wood pulp/cotton (hydroxypropylated)", "molecular_weight_range_kDa": "40-1150", "monosaccharide_composition": "glucose with hydroxypropyl groups", "degree_of_branching": "linear", "charge_type": "nonionic", "viscosity_1pct_solution_mPas": "150-4000", "pseudoplastic_behavior": "moderate", "thixotropy": "weak",…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "styling", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "curly/coily", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "neutral", "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": "neutral", "k…
uv_stability
{"uv_stable": "yes", "uv_degradation_rate": "stable", "photosensitizer": "no", "phototoxic": "no", "photoallergic": "no", "requires_uv_protection_packaging": "no", "color_change_uv": "no", "odor_change_uv": "no", "efficacy_loss_uv_pct": "0", "spf_contribution": "no", "uva_protection": "no", "uvb_protection": "no", "photostable_sunscreen": "no", "boost_spf_of_others": "no", "antioxidant_under_uv": …
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Hydroxypropylcellulose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hydroxypropylcellulose allowed in the EU?
Hydroxypropylcellulose EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Hydroxypropylcellulose do in cosmetics?
Hydroxypropylcellulose functions as: Binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, film forming, viscosity increasing. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 9004-64-2 [^1_3].
Compliance Tools
Check Hydroxypropylcellulose compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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