Is Sodium Bisulfite safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Bisulfite has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Sodium Bisulfite
Also known as: Sodium sulfite (NaHSO3), hidrogenosulfito de sodio (solucion acuosa), Sodium bisulphite, Sodium hydrogensulfite (aqueous solution), Sulfurous acid, sodium salt (1:1) (+13 more)
INCI: SODIUM BISULFITE
Sodium Bisulfite (CAS 7631-90-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Preservative, reducing agent, hair waving/straightening agent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.2%; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 7631-90-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sodium Bisulfite is classified GHS Danger (H302, H320, H335, H318, H317, H334, H372) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative, reducing agent, hair waving/straightening agent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium hydrogen sulfite
InChIKey
DWAQJAXMDSEUJJ-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.2%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; GRAS for food use; listed in VCRP for cosmetic use; no specific restriction under current FDA cosmetic rules
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 Bisulfite.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
Excl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the skin, eyes, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Exposure could cause asthma-like reactions or urticaria in sensitive persons.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged inhalation may cause asthma-like symptoms. The substance may have effects on the skin.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
5 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| LOEL | =0.32 % | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =2.5 % | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =5 % | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| LD50 | =2000 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair Color | 0.5–2 | 5 | CIR/VCRP |
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
baby_pediatric
{"cas_number": "CAS-FUNC-30", "ingredient_class": "other", "pediatric_safety_rating": "good", "minimum_age_months": "3", "neonatal_safe": "no", "premature_infant_safe": "insufficient_data", "skin_barrier_maturity_consideration": "Functional ingredient - generally safe", "transepidermal_absorption_risk_pediatric": "low", "systemic_exposure_concern_pediatric": "low", "dose_per_kg_body_weight_concern…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity in humans of sulfur dioxide, sulfites, bisulfites and metabisulfites. There is limited evidence for the carcinogenicity in experimental animals of sulfur dioxide. There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity in experimental animals of sulfites, bisulfites and metabisulfites. Overall evaluation: Sulfur dioxide, sulfites, bisul
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
1134
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Concentrated solutions are irritating to skin, mucous membranes. | It is irritating to the eyes, skin, & mucous membranes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Evaluation
SODIUM HYDROGEN SULFITE | 1998 | 0-0.7 mg/kg bw | Group ADI, expressed as sulfur dioxide, for calcium hydrogen sulfite, calcium metabisulfite, calcium sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, and sulfur dioxide | TRS 891-JECFA 51/30 | FAS 42-JECFA 51/95
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
Biocide
Dye
Filler
Flavouring and nutrient
Food preservative
Hair waving or straightening
Preservative
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Reducing agent
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium Bisulfite.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
epa_safer_alternative
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Sodium sulfite (NaHSO3)
hidrogenosulfito de sodio (solucion acuosa)
Sodium bisulphite
Sodium hydrogensulfite (aqueous solution)
Sulfurous acid, sodium salt (1:1)
Caswell No. 750
EINECS 231-548-0
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 078201
NSC 60680
Sodium hydrosulfite(DOT)
Sodium sulhydrate
Uantax SBS
Bisulfite de sodium
UNII-TZX5469Z6I
NaHSO3
Natriumbisulfit
primaeres Natriumsulfit
saures Natriumsulfit
Chemical Function
Stabilizing agent
Preservative
Antioxidant
Reducing agent
Hair waving or straightening
Thickening agent
Regulatory Lists
SCIL (9/2019)
fracking; water
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; 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
SODIUM BISULFITE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1689285
Max Phase
-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Bisulfite allowed in the EU?
Sodium Bisulfite EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.2%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Bisulfite do in cosmetics?
Sodium Bisulfite functions as: Preservative, reducing agent, hair waving/straightening agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7631-90-5.
Is Sodium Bisulfite classified as hazardous under GHS?
Sodium Bisulfite carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed. 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 Sodium Bisulfite used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Bisulfite 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 Sodium Bisulfite have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sodium Bisulfite is classified GHS Danger (H302, H320, H335, H318, H317, H334, H372) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Compliance Tools
Check Sodium Bisulfite 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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