Excellent Cosmetic Ingredient GHS Classified

Polyvinyl Alcohol

INCI: POLYVINYL ALCOHOL

CAS Number
9002-89-5
Function
Film forming, Viscosity controlling
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes CIR Expert Panel concluded safe as used in cosmetic formulations. Reaffirmed without reopening in 2014 and 2017. FDA approved for ophthalmic use and as excipient. VCRP reports 212+ uses at concentrations up to 15%.

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

Safety Data

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

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

GHS Hazard Classification

Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.

Short-term Exposure Effects
May cause mechanical irritation.

Expert Verdict

Polyvinyl Alcohol (CAS 9002-89-5 / 25213-24-5) is permitted for use in cosmetics in the EU without restriction and concluded safe as used by the CIR Panel in 1998, reaffirmed in 2014 and 2017. FDA-approved for ophthalmic use with 212+ reported uses at concentrations up to 15%.

⚠️
Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

film-forming high-molecular-weight water-soluble synthetic-polymer non-comedogenic vegan rinse-off leave-on eye-area eu_children_restricted epa_safer_alternative fda_food_additive

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polyvinyl Alcohol safe in cosmetics?

Polyvinyl Alcohol (CAS 9002-89-5 / 25213-24-5) is permitted for use in cosmetics in the EU without restriction and concluded safe as used by the CIR Panel in 1998, reaffirmed in 2014 and 2017. FDA-approved for ophthalmic use with 212+ reported uses at concentrations up to 15%. The EU classifies Polyvinyl Alcohol as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Polyvinyl Alcohol allowed in the EU?

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

What does Polyvinyl Alcohol do in cosmetics?

Polyvinyl Alcohol functions as: Film forming, Viscosity controlling. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 9002-89-5.

What is the Margin of Safety for Polyvinyl Alcohol?

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 Polyvinyl Alcohol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
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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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