Is Sodium Ascorbate safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Ascorbate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Excellent
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbate
Also known as: (+)-Sodium L-ascorbate (Sodium ascorbate) (l-Ascorbate, sodium), Ascorbic acid sodium derivative, EINECS 205-126-1, Iskia-C, Sodium derivative of 3-oxo-L-gulofuranolactone (+3 more)
INCI: SODIUM ASCORBATE
Sodium Ascorbate (CAS 134-03-2) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as Antioxidant, collagen booster, skin brightening. NOAEL 6162 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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 134-03-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant, collagen booster, skin brightening
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium (2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-4-hydroxy-5-oxo-2H-furan-3-olate
InChIKey
PPASLZSBLFJQEF-RXSVEWSESA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
FDA GRAS listed under 21 CFR as food-grade chemical preservative. CIR Expert Panel concluded safe as used in cosmetic products (2005). CIR re-review initiated September 2024 due to 15-year review cycle -- outcome pending. No MoCRA restrictions.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sodium Ascorbate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Sodium Ascorbate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
7 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOEL | =6.84 % diet | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =6.84 % diet | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECOTOX |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
5 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "antioxidant-protection, brightening", "mechanism_of_action": "Cofactor for enzymatic reactions, antioxidant activity", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Mild", "elastin_protection": "Mild", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "8-15", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "12", "sample_size": "30", "double_blind": "Yes", "placebo_controlled": "Yes", "published_journal…
depigmentation
{"cas_number": "134-03-2", "ingredient_class": "melanin_oxidation_agent", "primary_mechanism_of_action": "Sodium salt of vitamin C; stable in aqueous solutions", "secondary_mechanisms": "Variable", "molecular_target": "other", "tyrosinase_inhibition_IC50_uM": "varies", "tyrosinase_inhibition_type": "competitive", "melanin_reduction_pct_in_vitro": "25-45", "melanin_reduction_pct_clinical": "15-30",…
pregnancy_detail
{"pregnancy_safe": "yes", "breastfeeding_safe": "yes", "risk_category": "not-rated", "reason": "Vitamin C salt; safe", "source": "dermatology literature"}
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": "recommended", "aging_mature": "acceptable", "dehydrated": "acceptable", "skin_benefit_primary": "antioxidant", "skin_benefit_secondary": "brightening", …
vitamin
{"cas_number": "134-03-2", "ingredient_class": "vitamin_C", "chemical_form": "salt", "derivative_type": "active_form", "molecular_weight_Da": "198.11", "water_solubility": "soluble", "oil_solubility": "insoluble", "log_P": "-2.50", "stability_to_light": "moderate", "stability_to_heat": "moderate", "stability_to_oxidation": "moderate", "stability_to_pH_acid": "good", "stability_to_pH_alkaline": "ex…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Evaluation
SODIUM ASCORBATE | 1981 | NOT SPECIFIED | Group ADI for ascorbic acid and its sodium, potassium, and calcium salts | TRS 669-JECFA 25/43 | FAS 5/NMRS 53A-JECFA 17/143 (1973)
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
EU Food Improvement
Food additives
Source: EU Food Improvement Agents
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Chemical reaction regulator
Dye
Filler
Flavouring and nutrient
Food preservative
Fragrance
Leavening agent
Oxidizing agent
Pharmaceutical
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium Ascorbate.
Regulatory Flags
antioxidant
pro-oxidant-risk-with-metal-ions
vitamin-c-derivative
re-review-2024
gras
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Sodium Ascorbate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
24
Lowest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
6524 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
(+)-Sodium L-ascorbate (Sodium ascorbate) (l-Ascorbate, sodium)
Ascorbic acid sodium derivative
EINECS 205-126-1
Iskia-C
Sodium derivative of 3-oxo-L-gulofuranolactone
Natrii ascorbas
UNII-S033EH8359
Vitamin C, sodium salt
Chemical Function
Antioxidant
Flavouring and nutrient
pH regulating agent
Fragrance
Pharmaceutical
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
pharmaceutical
animal_products
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
SODIUM ASCORBATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL591665
Max Phase
4
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Ascorbate allowed in the EU?
Sodium Ascorbate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Ascorbate do in cosmetics?
Sodium Ascorbate functions as: Antioxidant, collagen booster, skin brightening. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 134-03-2.
Is Sodium Ascorbate used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Ascorbate 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 Sodium Ascorbate 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
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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DIETHYL TOLUAMIDE
Good
Chemical family
Skin Protecting
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