Is Methyl Lactate safe in cosmetics?
Methyl Lactate has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 4 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Methyl Lactate
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, methyl ester, EINECS 208-930-0, EINECS 218-449-8, 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid methyl ester, Methyl alpha-hydroxypropionate (+6 more)
INCI: METHYL LACTATE
Methyl Lactate (CAS 547-64-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Flavouring, fragrance, solvent. Reported NOAEL =0.5 mg/kg bw (INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09); 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 547-64-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Flavouring, fragrance, solvent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
methyl 2-hydroxypropanoate
InChIKey
LPEKGGXMPWTOCB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Allowed; GRAS for flavoring purposes
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Methyl Lactate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
4 study endpoints found for Methyl Lactate. 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 | =0.5 mg/kg bw | oral | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09 |
| NOAEL | =0.5 mg/kg bw | oral | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09 |
| NOAEL | =0.5 mg/kg bw | oral | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09 |
| NOAEL | =0.5 mg/kg bw | oral | - | Toxicology study | INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09 |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Methyl Lactate was not irritating to guinea pig eyes. | /Methyl lactate/ dropped into the eyes of rabbits ... was classified as non-irritating.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Solvent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Methyl Lactate.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Methyl Lactate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
4
Lowest NOAEL
0.5 mg/kg bw
Highest NOAEL
0.5 mg/kg bw
INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09
Known Synonyms
Propanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, methyl ester
EINECS 208-930-0
EINECS 218-449-8
2-Hydroxypropanoic acid methyl ester
Methyl alpha-hydroxypropionate
NSC 406248
(+/-)-Methyl 2-hydroxypropanoate
(+/-)-Methyl 2-hydroxypropionate
(+/-)-Methyl lactate
DL-Methyl lactate
methyl 2-hydroxypropionate
Chemical Function
Solvent
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Deodorizer
Regulatory Lists
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
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
CHEMBL3183351
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Methyl Lactate allowed in the EU?
Methyl Lactate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Methyl Lactate do in cosmetics?
Methyl Lactate functions as: Flavouring, fragrance, solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 547-64-8.
What is the NOAEL for Methyl Lactate?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Methyl Lactate is =0.5 mg/kg bw based on a Toxicology study study via oral route in rat. A total of 4 study endpoints are available. Source: INCHEM_WHO_kemi_kemi_ah1999_09.
Is Methyl Lactate used outside cosmetics?
Methyl Lactate 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 Methyl Lactate 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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