Is Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) safe in cosmetics?
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA)
Also known as: Acide gamolenique, Acido gamolenico, Acidum gamolenicum, UNII-78YC2MAX4O, (6,9,12)-linolenate (+15 more)
INCI: LINOLENIC ACID
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) (CAS 506-26-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Skin conditioning agent (emollient), anti-inflammatory lipid, barrier repair. 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
Skin conditioning agent (emollient), anti-inflammatory lipid, barrier repair
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(6Z,9Z,12Z)-octadeca-6,9,12-trienoic acid
InChIKey
VZCCETWTMQHEPK-QNEBEIHSSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR Expert Panel 2018 found linolenic acid safe in present practices of use and concentration; reported in 633 cosmetic product uses in VCRP data
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA).
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
6-12%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum/epidermis
Molecular Weight
278.4 Da
Log P
6.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
4-10%
Safety Margin Factor
moderate
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Lipids 2002
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
essential-fatty-acid
omega-6
barrier-repair
anti-inflammatory
oxidation-sensitive
cir-reviewed
Known Synonyms
Acide gamolenique
Acido gamolenico
Acidum gamolenicum
UNII-78YC2MAX4O
(6,9,12)-linolenate
(6,9,12)-linolenic acid
(6Z,9Z,12Z)-Octadecatrienoate
(6Z,9Z,12Z)-Octadecatrienoic acid
(Z,Z,Z)-6,9,12-Octadecatrienoate
(Z,Z,Z)-6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid
18:3 (n-6)
6(Z),9(Z),12(Z)-Octadecatrienoate
6,9,12-All-cis-Octadecatrienoate
6,9,12-Octadecatrienoate
6-cis,9-cis,12-cis-octadecatrienoic acid
6Z,9Z,12Z-Octadecatrienoate
6Z,9Z,12Z-Octadecatrienoic acid
All-cis-6,9,12-octadecatrienoate
C18:3 (n-6)
C18:3, n-6,9,12 all-cis
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
GAMOLENIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL464982
Max Phase
3
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) allowed in the EU?
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) do in cosmetics?
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) functions as: Skin conditioning agent (emollient), anti-inflammatory lipid, barrier repair. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 506-26-3.
Is Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) used outside cosmetics?
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) 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 Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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