Is Keratin safe in cosmetics?
Keratin has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
EXCELLENT
Cosmetic Ingredient
Keratin
INCI: KERATIN
Keratin (CAS 68238-35-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair conditioning, skin conditioning. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 68238-35-7 →
Function
Hair conditioning, skin conditioning
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — no CFR restriction; CIR Panel found safe in present practices of use
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Keratin.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCC | halal_prohibited | - | Hair and nail products |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Keratin — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
natural-origin
Chemical Function
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keratin allowed in the EU?
Keratin EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Keratin do in cosmetics?
Keratin functions as: Hair conditioning, skin conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 68238-35-7.
Compliance Tools
Check Keratin 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
Related Ingredients
1-Methylhydantoin-2-imide (Creatinine)
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin conditioning (skin brightening/l...
4-Amino-3-Hydroxybutyric Acid
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin conditioning agent with melanin ...
Acetyl Tripeptide-1
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin Conditioning
Acetylneuraminic Acid
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Acetylphytosphingosine
EXCELLENT
Same category
Skin Conditioning, Hair Conditioning;...
2,6-Dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol (Dihydromyrcenol)
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Fragrance (perfuming), masking
2-Ethoxy-2,6,6-Trimethyl-9-Methylenebicyclo[3.3.1]Nonane (Boisiris™)
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Fragrance (rich woody, orris/iris roo...
2-Hydroxypropylcarbamato Amodimethicone
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Hair conditioning; modified aminosili...
2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Softener and conditioner
3 O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Antioxidant; tyrosinase inhibitor; me...
3,6-Dimethyl-3-Octyl Acetate
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Fragrance / Perfuming agent with flor...
Hydrolyzed Oxidized Keratin
EXCELLENT
Chemical family
Hair conditioning, skin conditioning
Sorbitan Diisostearate
GOOD
Chemical family
Surfactant – Emulsifying Agent
Sulfonated Keratin
GOOD
Chemical family
Hair conditioning, Hair fixative, Ski...
Is Keratin in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Keratin in your formulation.