Is Protocatechuic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Protocatechuic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
Protocatechuic Acid
Also known as: BRN 1448841, EINECS 202-760-0, UNII-36R5QJ8L4B, 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoate, 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (+6 more)
INCI: PROTOCATECHUIC ACID
Protocatechuic Acid (CAS 99-50-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning. 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 99-50-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid
InChIKey
YQUVCSBJEUQKSH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not restricted by FDA; not specifically reviewed as a standalone ingredient by CIR; recognized metabolite of dietary polyphenols
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Protocatechuic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
2 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
cost_pricing
{"cost_tier": "premium", "estimated_cost_per_kg_usd_low": "120", "estimated_cost_per_kg_usd_high": "220", "natural_premium_markup_pct": "0", "organic_certified_premium_pct": "0", "supply_chain_volatility": "medium", "primary_source_region": "China", "bulk_discount_threshold_kg": "10", "seasonal_price_variation": "low", "commodity_or_specialty": "specialty", "substitute_ingredients": "Gallic Acid, …
skin_suitability
{"oily_skin": "acceptable", "dry_skin": "acceptable", "sensitive_skin": "acceptable", "combination_skin": "acceptable", "normal_skin": "acceptable", "acne_prone": "acceptable", "rosacea": "acceptable", "eczema": "acceptable", "hyperpigmentation": "acceptable", "aging_mature": "acceptable", "dehydrated": "acceptable", "skin_benefit_primary": "antioxidant", "skin_benefit_secondary": "anti-inflammato…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Number
2278
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Humectant
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Protocatechuic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
BRN 1448841
EINECS 202-760-0
UNII-36R5QJ8L4B
2,4-Dihydroxybenzoate
2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate
Protocatehuic acid
b-Resorcylate
b-Resorcylic acid
beta-Resorcylic acid
beta-resorcylate
Chemical Function
Humectant
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
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
PROTOCATECHUIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL37537
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Protocatechuic Acid allowed in the EU?
Protocatechuic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Protocatechuic Acid do in cosmetics?
Protocatechuic Acid functions as: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 99-50-3.
Is Protocatechuic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Protocatechuic Acid 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 Protocatechuic Acid 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
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Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Pr...
(ARCTIUM LAPPA/CARROT/COLOCASIA ESCULENTA/DIOSCOREA BATATAS/GARLIC/GINGER/IPOMOEA BATATAS/NELUMBO NUCIFERA/ONION/POTATO BULBS)/(CHESTNUT/CITRUS UNSHIU/EGGPLANT/FIG/GRAPE/KIWI/LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM/MALUS PUMILA/MUME/PEACH/PLUM/PUMPKIN/PYRUS SEROTINA/RADISH/ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA FRUIT)/(ALLIUM TUBEROSUM/ALOE BARBADENSIS/ANGELICA UTILIS/BRASSICA OLERACEA ACEPHALA/CABBAGE/CELERY/SACCHARINA JAPONICA/UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA LEAF)/(ALLIUM FISTULOSUM/ENTEROMORPHA COMPRESSA/OENANTHE JAVANICA STALK)/LENTINULA EDODES/SUCROSE FERMENT FILTRATE
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(ASPERGILLUS/SACCHAROMYCES)/RICE FERMENT/BARLEY GRAIN MEAL/NELUMBO NUCIFERA FLOWER EXTRACT FERMENT EXTRACT FILTRATE
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(ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS/GLYCYRRHIZA URALENSIS (LICORICE)/PANAX GINSENG) ROOT/AMOMUM XANTHIOIDES SEED/HORDEUM VULGARE SPROUT/ARALIA CORDATA/ACHYRANTHES JAPONICA EXTRACT
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Similar safety
Skin Conditioning - Miscellaneous
3,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID
Good
Chemical family
Skin Protecting
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid (Protocatechuic Acid)
Good
Chemical family
Antioxidant, skin conditioning
3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Moderate
Chemical family
Antimicrobial, Skin Conditioning
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