Is L-Histidine safe in cosmetics?
L-Histidine has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
EXCELLENT
Antioxidant
L-Histidine
Also known as: Histidine, L-, 8: PN: EP2878667 TABLE: 5 claimed sequence, (2S)-2-Amino-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid, 4-(2-Amino-2-carboxyethyl)imidazole, alpha-Amino-1H-imidazole-4-propionic acid, (S)- (+15 more)
INCI: HISTIDINE
L-Histidine (CAS 71-00-1) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as Semi-essential amino acid functioning as a hydrogen donor in ROS scavenging. 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 and pharmaceutical data.
Function
Semi-essential amino acid functioning as a hydrogen donor in ROS scavenging reactions, enhancing antioxidant capacity. Core residue in the GHK copper-carrier tripeptide sequence. Histidine's imidazole ring coordinates metal ions and participates in antioxidant hydrogen donation. Contributes to the free amino acid antioxidant pool in the skin's natural moisturizing environment.
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(2S)-2-amino-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid
InChIKey
HNDVDQJCIGZPNO-YFKPBYRVSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
FDA GRAS status. CIR-assessed safe class for amino acids.
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-Histidine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
4 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >5110 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >16000 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >15000 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
| LD50 | >15000 mg/kg | Rat | 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
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
1431
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
L-HISTIDINE | 2004 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | Not evaluated using the Procedure for the Safety Evaluation of Flavouring Agents; the substance is a macronutrient and a normal component of protein and, as such, human exposure through food is orders of magnitude higher than the anticipated level of exposure from use as a flavouring agent | TRS…
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-static agent
Flavouring and nutrient
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for L-Histidine — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
gras-fda
cir-approved
antioxidant
ros-scavenging
ghk-component
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to L-Histidine by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
6
Lowest NOAEL
382.9 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
452.2 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA
Known Synonyms
Histidine, L-
8: PN: EP2878667 TABLE: 5 claimed sequence
(2S)-2-Amino-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid
4-(2-Amino-2-carboxyethyl)imidazole
alpha-Amino-1H-imidazole-4-propionic acid, (S)-
alpha-Amino-4(or 5)-imidazolepropionic acid
Anti-rheuma
EINECS 200-745-3
FEMA No. 3694
S-Histidine
1H-Imidazole-4-propanoic acid, alpha-amino-, (S)-
Istidina
L-beta-(4-Imidazolyl)alanin
L-beta-(4-Imidazolyl)-alpha-alanin
Histidinum
UNII-4QD397987E
(2S)-2-amino-3-(3H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoic acid
(S)-1H-Imidazole-4-alanine
(S)-2-Amino-3-(4-imidazolyl)propionsaeure
(S)-a-Amino-1H-imidazole-4-propanoate
Chemical Function
Humectant
Anti-static agent
Softener and conditioner
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
HISTIDINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL17962
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
2
Frequently Asked Questions
Is L-Histidine allowed in the EU?
L-Histidine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does L-Histidine do in cosmetics?
L-Histidine functions as: Semi-essential amino acid functioning as a hydrogen donor in ROS scavenging reactions, enhancing antioxidant capacity. Core residue in the GHK copper-carrier tripeptide sequence. Histidine's imidazole ring coordinates metal ions and participates in antioxidant hydrogen donation. Contributes to the free amino acid antioxidant pool in the skin's natural moisturizing environment.. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 71-00-1.
Is L-Histidine used outside cosmetics?
L-Histidine also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check L-Histidine compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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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