Excellent Cosmetic Ingredient

Polyepsilon-Lysine

INCI: POLYEPSILON-LYSINE

CAS Number
28211-04-3
Function
Preservative (antimicrobial); hair conditioning; skin conditioning; surfactant (emulsifying)
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes FDA GRAS for food use; permitted in cosmetics without specific restriction. Health Canada lists it as approved (non-medicinal).

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

Safety Data

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

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Permitted in EU and US cosmetics. When used as a preservative (antimicrobial function), verify compliance with EU Reg. 1223/2009 Article 14. In Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN markets, preservative-function ingredients have market-specific positive lists requiring verification. Most effective in neutral to mildly acidic pH.

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Concern Level: Low

Regulatory Flags

preservative

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polyepsilon-Lysine safe in cosmetics?

Permitted in EU and US cosmetics. When used as a preservative (antimicrobial function), verify compliance with EU Reg. 1223/2009 Article 14. In Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN markets, preservative-function ingredients have market-specific positive lists requiring verification. Most effective in neutral to mildly acidic pH. The EU classifies Polyepsilon-Lysine as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Polyepsilon-Lysine allowed in the EU?

Polyepsilon-Lysine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Polyepsilon-Lysine do in cosmetics?

Polyepsilon-Lysine functions as: Preservative (antimicrobial); hair conditioning; skin conditioning; surfactant (emulsifying). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 28211-04-3.

What is the Margin of Safety for Polyepsilon-Lysine?

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 Polyepsilon-Lysine compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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

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