Is L-Carnosine safe in cosmetics?
L-Carnosine has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
L-Carnosine
Also known as: beta-Alanyl-L-histidine, L-Histidine, β-alanyl-, β-Alanyl-L-histidine, (2S)-2-(3-Aminopropanoylamino)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid, β-Alanylhistidine (+8 more)
INCI: CARNOSINE
L-Carnosine (CAS 305-84-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Skin conditioning, Antioxidant. 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
Function
Skin conditioning, Antioxidant
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No FDA restrictions; considered safe for cosmetic use; non-comedogenic
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for L-Carnosine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of L-Carnosine, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
5-10%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum/epidermis
Molecular Weight
226.2 Da
Log P
-2.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
3-8%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2012
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
1 toxicity value from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >14930 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for L-Carnosine — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
amino-acid
dipeptide
antioxidant
anti-glycation
anti-aging
collagen-protective
non-comedogenic
Known Synonyms
beta-Alanyl-L-histidine
L-Histidine, β-alanyl-
β-Alanyl-L-histidine
(2S)-2-(3-Aminopropanoylamino)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid
β-Alanylhistidine
N-(β-Alanyl)-L-histidine
2: PN: WO2009033754 PAGE: 98 claimed protein
Dragosine
Ignotin
Ignotine
Karnozin
NSC 524045
Sevitin
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory Lists
Canada; pharmaceutical
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CARNOSINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL242948
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
19
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Carnosine
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is L-Carnosine allowed in the EU?
L-Carnosine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does L-Carnosine do in cosmetics?
L-Carnosine functions as: Skin conditioning, Antioxidant. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 305-84-0.
Is L-Carnosine used outside cosmetics?
L-Carnosine also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check L-Carnosine 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
L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine
EXCELLENT
Same category
Humectant, skin conditioning, emollient
1-Methylhydantoin-2-imide (Creatinine)
EXCELLENT
Similar safety
Skin conditioning (skin brightening/l...
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...
Carnosine
EXCELLENT
Chemical family
Antioxidant; anti-pollution active; A...
Esculetin
MODERATE
Chemical family
Skin conditioning
L-Carnitine
GOOD
Browse nearby
skin conditioning agent, hair conditi...
L-Carvyl Propionate
MODERATE
Browse nearby
Fragrance
L-Cysteine
GOOD
Browse nearby
amino acid; reducing agent; hair-rest...
L-Dihydrogeraniol
MODERATE
Browse nearby
Fragrance
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
MODERATE
Same EU status
(AGARICUS BLAZEI FERMENT + GANODERMA LUCIDUM FERMENT + GANODERMA MULTIPILEUM FERMENT) EXTRACT
GOOD
Same EU status
Anti-sebum, Antioxidant, Skin Protecting
Is L-Carnosine 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 L-Carnosine in your formulation.