Is Silver Nitrate safe in cosmetics?
Silver Nitrate has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Silver Nitrate
Also known as: Argenti nitras, Argerol, Caswell No. 737, EINECS 231-853-9, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 072503 (+5 more)
INCI: SILVER NITRATE
Silver Nitrate (CAS 7761-88-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antimicrobial, hair/skin dyeing agent (historically used to dye hair/eyebrows. NOAEL 100 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 4%; GHS signal word DANGER. 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 7761-88-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Silver Nitrate is classified GHS Danger (H272, H290, H314, H318, H360D, H400, H410, H302) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 4%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Antimicrobial, hair/skin dyeing agent (historically used to dye hair/eyebrows black)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
silver nitrate
InChIKey
SQGYOTSLMSWVJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
4%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Recognized as an OTC drug ingredient (antiseptic); as a cosmetic colorant/dye, subject to general safety provisions; FDA has issued warnings about colloidal silver products
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Silver Nitrate.
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.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
Flam circleCorrEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. The substance may cause effects on the blood. This may result in the formation of methaemoglobin. The effects may be delayed. Medical observation is indicated.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance may have effects on the blood. This may result in the formation of methaemoglobin. The substance may cause a grey-blue discolouration of the eyes and skin (argyria/argyrosis). Animal tests show that this substance possibly causes toxicity to human reproduction or development.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Silver Nitrate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
OxidiserCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Ox. Sol. 2; Skin Corr. 1B; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H272 May intensify fire; oxidiser
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Inserted via ATP: ATP01
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
SA Saudi SFDA (III - Restricted)
Product type: Only for colouring eyelashes and eyebrows. Max: 0.04.
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: A1143
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Restricted · max 0.04
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (4)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | restricted | 4 | Eye cosmetics |
| BR | restricted | 4 | Products to color eyelashes and eyebrows only |
| ASEAN | banned | - | All cosmetic products prohibited |
| ASEAN | restricted | 4% | Eyelash and eyebrow products only |
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
hair_dye
{"cas_number": "7761-88-8", "ingredient_class": "metallic_salt_dye", "chemical_class": "other", "molecular_weight_Da": "169.87", "color_result_on_hair": "Progressive gray-black", "shade_range": "black", "primary_function": "direct_deposit", "requires_developer": "no", "deposit_only": "yes", "permanence": "progressive", "wash_fastness_shampoos": "10-15", "oxidation_mechanism": "metallic_binding", "…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
Ingested nitrate or nitrite under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
1116
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Dust will irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory membranes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Regulatory List Membership (3)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Silver Nitrate.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
fda_food_additive
eu_cosing_listed
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Silver Nitrate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
36
Lowest NOAEL
0.4 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
407 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Argenti nitras
Argerol
Caswell No. 737
EINECS 231-853-9
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 072503
NSC 135800
Silver nitrate(DOT)
UTS Silverator Water Treatment Unit
UNII-95IT3W8JZE
AgNO3
Chemical Function
Dye
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
SILVER NITRATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL177367
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
38
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Silver Nitrate allowed in the EU?
Silver Nitrate EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 4%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Silver Nitrate do in cosmetics?
Silver Nitrate functions as: Antimicrobial, hair/skin dyeing agent (historically used to dye hair/eyebrows black). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7761-88-8.
Is Silver Nitrate classified as hazardous under GHS?
Silver Nitrate carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Silver Nitrate used outside cosmetics?
Silver Nitrate 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.
Does Silver Nitrate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Silver Nitrate is classified GHS Danger (H272, H290, H314, H318, H360D, H400, H410, H302) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 4%.
Compliance Tools
Check Silver Nitrate 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
Related Ingredients
Acrylates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Crosspolymer
Excellent
Same category
Emulsion stabilising, film forming
Adipic Acid
Excellent
Same category
Buffering
Aluminum Magnesium Oxide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, bulking agent, opacifying ...
Ammonium VA/Acrylates Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, binding, film forming, ha...
Ammonium VA/Crotonic Acid Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, film forming, hair fixing...
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, emulsion stabilising, film...
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1-Nitropropane
Poor
Similar safety
None in cosmetics - industrial solven...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Cocodimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
2,3-Epoxypropyl Lauryldimonium Chloride
Poor
Similar safety
Antistatic / hair conditioning agent ...
SILICON
Good
Browse nearby
Abrasive
SILYBUM MARIANUM EXTRACT
Good
Browse nearby
Skin Conditioning
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT
Good
Browse nearby
Humectant
Is Silver Nitrate in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Silver Nitrate in your formulation.