Is Retinol safe in cosmetics?
Retinol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
MODERATE
Active Ingredient
Retinol
INCI: RETINOL
Retinol (CAS 68-26-8) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as retinoid / skin-renewing / active. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.05% RE in body lotions; 0.3% RE in other leave-on and rinse-off products. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
Function
retinoid / skin-renewing / active
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.05% RE in body lotions; 0.3% RE in other leave-on and rinse-off products
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No federal concentration limits for retinol in OTC cosmetics. FDA classifies retinol as a cosmetic ingredient (not drug) at typical cosmetic use levels. No mandatory pregnancy or age warnings required under US law, unlike EU Regulation 2024/996. Safety guidance relies on industry self-regulation (CIR); CIR has affirmed retinol safe as used. Aggregate exposure concern (diet + supplements + topical) applies equally but is not regulated at federal level.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Retinol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Retinol — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
eu-restricted
sccs-opinion
pregnancy-warning
age-restriction
aggregate-exposure-concern
fda_food_additive
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
RETINOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL986
Max Phase
4
Adverse Event Associations
1884
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Retinol allowed in the EU?
Retinol EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.05% RE in body lotions; 0.3% RE in other leave-on and rinse-off products. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Retinol do in cosmetics?
Retinol functions as: retinoid / skin-renewing / active. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 68-26-8.
Is Retinol used outside cosmetics?
Retinol also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Retinol 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
Is Retinol in Your Products?
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Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Retinol in your formulation.