Is L-Threonine safe in cosmetics?
L-Threonine has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
L-Threonine
Also known as: 2-Amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, (R-(R*,S*))-, Butanoic acid, 2-amino-3-hydroxy-, (R-(R*,S*))-, EINECS 200-774-1, Threoninum, Treonina (+10 more)
INCI: THREONINE
L-Threonine (CAS 72-19-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antistatic, Hair Conditioning, Hair Waving/Straightening, Skin Conditioning. NOAEL 854.3 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 72-19-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antistatic, Hair Conditioning, Hair Waving/Straightening, Skin Conditioning (Humectant)
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(2S,3R)-2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid
InChIKey
AYFVYJQAPQTCCC-GBXIJSLDSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS as direct food additive under 21 CFR 172.320; no FDA cosmetic restrictions
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-Threonine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for L-Threonine across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
6 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "72-19-5", "anti_acne_mechanism": "anti_inflammatory", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "0-5", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "No limit", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne": "No", "eu_cosmetic_restriction_ac…
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "hydration-plumping", "mechanism_of_action": "Building block for proteins, NMF component", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Mild", "elastin_protection": "Mild", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "5-10", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "8", "sample_size": "25", "double_blind": "No", "placebo_controlled": "Yes", "published_journal": "Int J Cosmet Sci", "improve…
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "72-19-5", "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_inhibition…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "protein-treatment", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "all", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "protein", "moisture_protein_balance": "yes", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "not-a-sulfate", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "yes", "color_safe": "strengthen…
pregnancy_detail
{"pregnancy_safe": "yes", "breastfeeding_safe": "yes", "risk_category": "not-rated", "reason": "Safe; amino acid", "source": "dermatology literature"}
uv_stability
{"uv_stable": "yes", "uv_degradation_rate": "stable", "photosensitizer": "no", "phototoxic": "no", "photoallergic": "no", "requires_uv_protection_packaging": "no", "color_change_uv": "no", "odor_change_uv": "no", "efficacy_loss_uv_pct": "0", "spf_contribution": "no", "uva_protection": "no", "uvb_protection": "no", "photostable_sunscreen": "no", "boost_spf_of_others": "no", "antioxidant_under_uv": …
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
L-THREONINE | 2012 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 974-JECFA 76 | FAS 67 JECFA 76
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for L-Threonine.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
Known Synonyms
2-Amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, (R-(R*,S*))-
Butanoic acid, 2-amino-3-hydroxy-, (R-(R*,S*))-
EINECS 200-774-1
Threoninum
Treonina
UNII-2ZD004190S
(2S)-threonine
(2S,3R)-(-)-Threonine
(2S,3R)-2-Amino-3-hydroxybutyric acid
(2S,3R)-2-amino-3-hydroxy-butanoic acid
(2S,3R)-2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid
(R-(R*,S*))-2-Amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid
L-2-Amino-3-hydroxybutyric acid
L-alpha-amino-beta-hydroxybutyric acid
[R-(R*,S*)]-2-amino-3-hydroxy-Butanoic acid
Chemical Function
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
pharmaceutical
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
THREONINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL291747
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
36
Frequently Asked Questions
Is L-Threonine allowed in the EU?
L-Threonine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does L-Threonine do in cosmetics?
L-Threonine functions as: Antistatic, Hair Conditioning, Hair Waving/Straightening, Skin Conditioning (Humectant). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 72-19-5.
Is L-Threonine used outside cosmetics?
L-Threonine 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-Threonine 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
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