Excellent Active Ingredient Dermal Penetration

Linoleic Acid

INCI: LINOLEIC ACID

CAS Number
60-33-3
Function
skin-conditioning
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes Permitted; no US concentration cap. Essential fatty acid component of SC lipid system.

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

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
high
Sensitization
none

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Dermal Penetration Profile

Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Linoleic Acid, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.

Absorption %
6-12%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum/epidermis
Molecular Weight
280.4 Da
Log P
7.0
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
4-10%
Safety Margin Factor
moderate
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation

Source: Int J Cosmet Sci 2015

Expert Verdict

C18:2 essential fatty acid with critical role in skin barrier function. Linoleic acid is the ester-linked component within acylceramide subclasses (CER[EOS/EOP/EOH/EODS]) and part of the validated 3:1:1:1 barrier repair molar ratio. Deficiency causes oleic acid substitution, disrupting long periodicity phase architecture and producing elevated transepidermal water loss.

⚠️
Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

barrier-repair sc-lipid free-fatty-acid essential-fatty-acid lpp-critical epa_safer_alternative ifra_fragrance fda_food_additive

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Linoleic Acid safe in cosmetics?

C18:2 essential fatty acid with critical role in skin barrier function. Linoleic acid is the ester-linked component within acylceramide subclasses (CER[EOS/EOP/EOH/EODS]) and part of the validated 3:1:1:1 barrier repair molar ratio. Deficiency causes oleic acid substitution, disrupting long periodicity phase architecture and producing elevated transepidermal water loss. The EU classifies Linoleic Acid as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Linoleic Acid allowed in the EU?

Linoleic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Linoleic Acid do in cosmetics?

Linoleic Acid functions as: skin-conditioning. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 60-33-3.

What is the Margin of Safety for Linoleic Acid?

adequate 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 Linoleic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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

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