Poor Cosmetic Ingredient

Kava Kava Root Extract

INCI: PIPER METHYSTICUM ROOT EXTRACT

CAS Number
9000-38-8
Function
Skin Conditioning, Soothing
Safety Rating
POOR

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status restricted
🇺🇸 US Status restricted
US Notes FDA issued consumer advisory on liver toxicity risk; CIR concluded insufficient data to support safety in cosmetics; use at 0.0001–0.1% per CTFA guidance

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
not established
Dermal Absorption
high
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Highly controversial ingredient with documented hepatotoxicity risk; CIR found insufficient safety data for cosmetic use; EU restricts kava in multiple member states; FDA advisory active; not recommended for routine cosmetic formulations without robust safety dossier.

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Concern Level: High

Regulatory Flags

hepatotoxic-risk cir-insufficient-data eu-restricted fda-advisory avoid-high-concentration

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kava Kava Root Extract safe in cosmetics?

Highly controversial ingredient with documented hepatotoxicity risk; CIR found insufficient safety data for cosmetic use; EU restricts kava in multiple member states; FDA advisory active; not recommended for routine cosmetic formulations without robust safety dossier. The EU classifies Kava Kava Root Extract as "restricted". Safety rating: POOR.

Is Kava Kava Root Extract allowed in the EU?

Kava Kava Root Extract EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Kava Kava Root Extract do in cosmetics?

Kava Kava Root Extract functions as: Skin Conditioning, Soothing. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 9000-38-8.

What is the Margin of Safety for Kava Kava Root Extract?

not established The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

Compliance Tools

Check Kava Kava Root Extract compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
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Substance Compliance
Check compliance across 55 jurisdictions
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
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Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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