Is Melamine safe in cosmetics?
Melamine has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Melamine
Also known as: 1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triamine, 4-26-00-01253, BRN 0124341, EINECS 203-615-4, Hicophor PR (+5 more)
INCI: MELAMINE
Melamine (CAS 108-78-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Industrial resin precursor. NOAEL 126 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. 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 108-78-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Melamine is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H351, H361, H361f, H373, H227, H315, H317, H336).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Industrial resin precursor
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine
InChIKey
JDSHMPZPIAZGSV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
Not explicitly listed in 21 CFR Parts 700-740; however, no established cosmetic use and FDA would consider it an adulterant
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Melamine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for Melamine. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =0.019 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Neurotoxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.025 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Neurotoxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.03 mg/kg bw | - | Human; Rat | Acute toxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.03 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Neurotoxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.05 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.065 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.07 mg/kg bw/day | oral | - | Neurotoxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.1 mg/kg bw/day | - | Human | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.2 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | Neurotoxicity | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
| NOAEL | =0.21 mg/kg bw | - | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01 |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Melamine across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2B
Volume
Sup 7, 73, 119
Evaluation Year
2017
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Health Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Carc. 2; STOT RE 2
Hazard Statements
- H351 Suspected of causing cancer
- H373 (urinary tract)
Inserted via ATP: ATP18
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
Yes (since 17-Jan-2023)
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
SVHC reason: Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57(f) - human health)
Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC)
Included: 17-Jan-2023
Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57(f) - human health); Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the environment (Article 57(f) - environment)
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 1711
(EU) 2023/1490
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: 1710
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (6)
Carcinogen Classification
3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
Melamine | Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans | Volume Sup 7: Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, 1987; 440 pages; ISBN 92-832-1411-0 (out of print) | Volume 73: (1999) Some Chemicals that Cause Tumours of the Kidney or Urinary Bladder in Rodents and Some Other Substances | Volume 119: (2019) Some Chemicals That Cause Tumours of the Urinar
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Carcinogen Classification
Melamine | TR-245: Carcinogenesis Bioassay of Melamine (CASRN 108-78-1) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Feed Study) (1983 ) | 06/16/82 | Clear Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | Under the conditions of this bioassay, melamine was carcinogenic for male F344/N rats, causing transitional-cell carcinomas in the urinary bladder. With one exception, urinary bladder stones were
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Cancer Classification: Group D Not Classifiable as to Human Carcinogenicity | Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of melamine. There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of melamine under conditions in which it produces bladder calculi. Overall evaluation: In making the overall evaluation, the Working Group noted that a non-D
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Chemical reaction regulator
Degradant/impurity
Flame retardant
Monomers
No specific technical function
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Melamine.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Melamine by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
194
Lowest NOAEL
0.019
Highest NOAEL
2000
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg bw
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triamine
4-26-00-01253
BRN 0124341
EINECS 203-615-4
Hicophor PR
NCI-C50715
s-Triazine, 2,4,6-triamino-
UNII-N3GP2YSD88
Cyanuric triamide
sym-triaminotriazine
Chemical Function
Flame retardant
Degradant/impurity
Monomers
Regulatory Lists
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
detected; Europe; Toys and children's products
Europe; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1231106
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Melamine allowed in the EU?
Melamine EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Melamine do in cosmetics?
Melamine functions as: Industrial resin precursor. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 108-78-1.
What is the NOAEL for Melamine?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Melamine is =0.019 mg/kg bw/day based on a Neurotoxicity study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: INCHEM_WHO_jmpr_jmpmono_v2006pr01.
Is Melamine used outside cosmetics?
Melamine 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.
Does Melamine have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Melamine is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H351, H361, H361f, H373, H227, H315, H317, H336).
Compliance Tools
Check Melamine 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
Acrylates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Crosspolymer
Excellent
Same category
Emulsion stabilising, film forming
Adipic Acid
Excellent
Same category
Buffering
Aluminum Magnesium Oxide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, bulking agent, opacifying ...
Ammonium VA/Acrylates Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, binding, film forming, ha...
Ammonium VA/Crotonic Acid Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, film forming, hair fixing...
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, emulsion stabilising, film...
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1-Nitropropane
Poor
Similar safety
None in cosmetics - industrial solven...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Cocodimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Lauryldimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
2,4-Dimethylpyridine
Poor
Chemical family
Fragrance (limited); primarily an ind...
2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanol
Good
Chemical family
Fragrance (perfuming)
2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanone
Moderate
Chemical family
Fragrance / perfuming; also functions...
Is Melamine 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 Melamine in your formulation.