Is Sodium Benzoate safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Benzoate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Sodium Benzoate
Also known as: Benzoic acid, sodium salt, Benzoate, sodium, Benzoate sodium, Caswell No. 746, EINECS 208-534-8 (+8 more)
INCI: SODIUM BENZOATE
Sodium Benzoate (CAS 532-32-1) is a cosmetic preservative functioning as preservative. NOAEL 1795 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.5% as benzoic acid equivalent. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
Function
preservative
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.5% as benzoic acid equivalent
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; GRAS for food use. No US-specific cosmetic concentration cap. Very low sensitization rate — suitable for sensitive-skin and baby formulations. pH-dependent: active as undissociated benzoic acid below pH 5.5. Potassium sorbate + sodium benzoate combination system preferred for clean/organic acid preservation.
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 Benzoate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for Sodium Benzoate. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | 175 mg/kg bw/day | oral | mouse | Developmental | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 250 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rabbit | Developmental | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 300 mg/kg bw/day | oral | hamster | Developmental | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 510 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 1095 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Carcinogenicity | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 1250 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Subchronic | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 2000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | 2090 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | =3.6 mg/kg bw/day | oral | - | Toxicology study | WHO/JECFA |
| NOAEL | =3.6 mg/kg bw/day | oral | - | Toxicology study | WHO/JECFA |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is mildly irritating to the eyes.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Sodium Benzoate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Sodium Benzoate based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
preservative
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.3%
Cross-reactivity Group
benzoate-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: ESSCA; IVDK; NACDG
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Sodium Benzoate, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
2-5%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
144.1 Da
Log P
-2.3
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
1-3%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: CIR Expert Panel
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =1310 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | EFSA |
| NOAEL | =500 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | EFSA |
| LEL | =36000 mg/kg-day | Pig | oral | subchronic | EFSA |
| LEL | =36000 mg/kg-day | Pig | oral | subchronic | EFSA |
| LEL | =36000 mg/kg-day | Pig | oral | - | EFSA |
| NOEL | =1000 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| NOAEL | =250 mg/kg-day | Rabbit | oral | - | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =905 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =3571 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | short-term | ECHA |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA |
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: preservative
Receptor targets: ERα (weak, limited)
LOEC: N/A
EU status: allowed (max 0.5%)
weak modulator
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
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.
JPKR Japan/Korea Cosmetics
Japan (Positive (Preservative)): max 1.0
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (4)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | permitted_preservative | 0.5 | All cosmetics |
| IN | permitted_preservative | 0.5 | all products (other benzoate salts/esters) |
| AU | restricted | - | preservatives |
| BR | permitted_preservative | 2.5 (rinse) / 1.7 (oral) / 0.5 (leave-on) | Same as Benzoic Acid (calculated as acid) |
Expanded Dermal Absorption Data
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
Aggregated DA Values (1 records across 5 sources)
| Type | DA % | Method | Skin Model | SCCS Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| measured_sccs_opinion | 42.6% | - | - | SCCP/0891/05 |
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 0.1–0.5 | 0.5 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Body Lotion | 0.1–0.5 | 0.5 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Toner | 0.1–0.5 | 0.5 | CIR Safety Assessment |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Biocide
Corrosion inhibitor
Crystal growth modifiers (nucleating agents)
Deodorizer
Dye
Flavouring and nutrient
Flocculating agent
Food preservative
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (5)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Sodium Benzoate — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
eu-annex-v
organic-acid
very-low-sensitization
ph-dependent
sensitive-skin-suitable
baby-safe
clean-label
gras
synergistic-with-potassium-sorbate
ph-5.5-optimal
eu_children_restricted
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Sodium Benzoate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
32
Lowest NOAEL
3.6 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
4325 mg/kg bw/day
WHO/JECFA
WHO/JECFA
COSMOS DB
ECHA
Dermal Absorption
View details ->| Absorption % | Method | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 42.6% | SCCS PDF direct extraction | - |
Known Synonyms
Benzoic acid, sodium salt
Benzoate, sodium
Benzoate sodium
Caswell No. 746
EINECS 208-534-8
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 009103
FEMA No. 3025
FEMA Number 3025
Natrium benzoicum
Benzoan sodny
Benzoesaeure (na-salz)
UNII-OJ245FE5EU
E211
Chemical Function
Preservative
Corrosion inhibitor
Biocide
Regulatory Lists
SCIL (9/2019)
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Europe; Personal care - body hygiene - hand soap
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
detected; general_crops; Pesticides; residue
Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care - body hygiene - body wash
children; Europe; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo
children; Europe; Personal care - specialized bath products - bubble bath
children; Europe; Personal care - dental care - toothpaste
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
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 BENZOATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1356
Max Phase
4
Adverse Event Associations
147
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Benzoate allowed in the EU?
Sodium Benzoate EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.5% as benzoic acid equivalent. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Benzoate do in cosmetics?
Sodium Benzoate functions as: preservative. It is classified as a Preservative in our database. CAS number: 532-32-1.
What is the NOAEL for Sodium Benzoate?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Sodium Benzoate is 175 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in mouse. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS DB.
Is Sodium Benzoate used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Benzoate 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 Benzoate 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
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