Is Karité Butter (Shea Butter) safe in cosmetics?
Karité Butter (Shea Butter) has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Excellent
Cosmetic Ingredient
Karité Butter (Shea Butter)
Also known as: Fats and Glyceridic oils, shea butter, Fats, shea butter, Bioderma SX 19, Bioderma SX 20, Cetiol SB 45 (+13 more)
INCI: BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER
Karité Butter (Shea Butter) (CAS 194043-92-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Emollient, skin conditioning, viscosity controlling. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 194043-92-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Emollient, skin conditioning, viscosity controlling
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No FDA restriction; CIR reviewed and found safe as used; widely used across all product categories
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Karité Butter (Shea Butter).
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
6 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "91080-23-8", "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_inhibit…
depigmentation
{"cas_number": "91080-23-8", "ingredient_class": "combined_mechanism", "primary_mechanism_of_action": "African/Middle Eastern traditional brightening ingredient", "secondary_mechanisms": "Variable", "molecular_target": "other", "tyrosinase_inhibition_IC50_uM": "varies", "tyrosinase_inhibition_type": "competitive", "melanin_reduction_pct_in_vitro": "25-45", "melanin_reduction_pct_clinical": "15-30"…
lipid
{"cas_number": "194043-92-0 / 91080-23-8", "lipid_class": "butter", "botanical_source": "Vitellaria paradoxa", "plant_part": "nut", "extraction_method": "expeller_pressed", "fatty_acid_profile_main_pct": "oleic 40-60%, stearic 35-45%, linoleic 3-11%, palmitic 2-9%", "omega_classification": "omega9", "iodine_value": "52-66", "saponification_value": "170-190", "unsaponifiable_matter_pct": "3-17", "p…
self_tanning
{"cas_number": "194043-92-0", "ingredient_class": "tan_extender", "tanning_mechanism": "other", "color_development_onset_hours": "0.0", "full_color_development_hours": "0", "color_duration_days": "3", "DHA_concentration_if_applicable_pct": "0", "erythrulose_concentration_pct": "0", "pH_dependent_color": "no", "skin_pH_interaction": "moisturizes to extend tan", "formaldehyde_release_concern": "no",…
solubility_hlb
{"water_soluble": "no", "oil_soluble": "yes", "hlb_required": "8.0", "soluble_in": "oils, ethanol", "insoluble_in": "water, glycerin, propylene glycol", "log_p": "6.2", "melting_point_c": "28-35", "appearance": "off-white solid", "source": "AAK"}
supply_chain
{"primary_producing_countries": "Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria", "secondary_producing_countries": "Mali, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast", "raw_material_origin": "plant", "agricultural_crop_or_wild_harvested": "wild_harvested", "cultivation_climate_required": "tropical_savannah", "harvest_season": "may_august", "annual_global_production_tonnes": "670000", "market_share_top_producer_pct": "42", "supply_cha…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Emulsifier
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Viscosity modifier
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Karité Butter (Shea Butter).
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
Known Synonyms
Fats and Glyceridic oils, shea butter
Fats, shea butter
Bioderma SX 19
Bioderma SX 20
Cetiol SB 45
Cetiol SB 45DEO
Cropure Liq. Vegela
Cropure Liquid Vegela
Cropure SB
HY 3003
Jarchem SB-WD
Jarplex SB 35
Jarplex SB-WD
Lipex 512
Lipex Shea U
Butyrospermum Parkii is the fat obtained from the fruit of the karite tree, Butyrospernum parkii, Sapotaceae
EC 606-306-6
EC 925-906-1
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Emulsifier
Viscosity modifier
Humectant
Regulatory Lists
SCIL (9/2019)
Europe; Personal care - make-up and related
Canada; pharmaceutical
SCIL (9/2019)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karité Butter (Shea Butter) allowed in the EU?
Karité Butter (Shea Butter) EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Karité Butter (Shea Butter) do in cosmetics?
Karité Butter (Shea Butter) functions as: Emollient, skin conditioning, viscosity controlling. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 194043-92-0.
Compliance Tools
Check Karité Butter (Shea Butter) 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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