Is Theobromine safe in cosmetics?
Theobromine has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 1 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Theobromine
Also known as: 1H-Purine-2,6-dione, 3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-, 5-26-13-00553, BRN 0016464, EINECS 201-494-2, FEMA No. 3591 (+8 more)
INCI: THEOBROMINE
Theobromine (CAS 83-67-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Skin-conditioning agent (methylxanthine class, related to caffeine and. Reported NOAEL 53 mg/kg bw/day in rat (COSMOS_DB); 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 83-67-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Theobromine is classified GHS Danger (H302, H319, H351, H341, H360, H370) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Skin-conditioning agent (methylxanthine class, related to caffeine and theophylline)
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
3,7-dimethylpurine-2,6-dione
InChIKey
YAPQBXQYLJRXSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR Expert Panel concluded safe in cosmetics in present practices of use and concentration (2024 assessment)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Theobromine.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
1 study endpoint found for Theobromine. 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 | 53 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS_DB |
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 | =21 mg/kg-day | Rabbit | oral | - | EFSA |
| NOAEL | ~35 mg/kg-day | Sheep | oral | subchronic | EFSA |
| NOAEL | =7 mg/kg-day | Pig | oral | - | EFSA |
| LD50 | =1265 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LD50 | =837 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LD50 | =950 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | =200 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | <=349 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | =144 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | =110 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
3
Volume
51
Evaluation Year
1990
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
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": "acceptable", "aging_mature": "acceptable", "dehydrated": "acceptable", "skin_benefit_primary": "circulation", "skin_benefit_secondary": "energizing", "m…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
Theobromine | Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | Volume 51: (1991) Coffee, Tea, Mate, Methylxanthines and Methylglyoxal
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity in humans of theobromine. There are no data on the carcinogenicity of theobromine in experimental animaIs. Overall evaluation: Theobromine is not classifable as to ifs carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3).
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Theobromine.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Theobromine by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
1
Lowest NOAEL
53 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
53 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
Known Synonyms
1H-Purine-2,6-dione, 3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-
5-26-13-00553
BRN 0016464
EINECS 201-494-2
FEMA No. 3591
Thesodate
Xanthine, 3,7-dimethyl-
UNII-OBD445WZ5P
2,6-Dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-purine
3,7-Dimethyl-xanthine
3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione
3,7-dimethyl-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione
3,7-dimethylpurine-2,6-dione
Chemical Function
Deodorizer
Softener and conditioner
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
THEOBROMINE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1114
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
16
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives + fda_gras_enriched
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Theobromine
FDA GRAS
At the notifier's request, FDA ceased to evaluate this notice
GRN
340
Food Category
sports_nutrition
Ingredient in bread, ready-to-eat cereals, instant and regular oatmeal, sports and isotonic drinks, vitamin and enhanced bottled waters, chewing gums, tea, soy milk, gelatins, hard mint candy, meal replacement beverages (non-chocolate), yogurt and yogurt...
View full food safety profile →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Theobromine allowed in the EU?
Theobromine EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Theobromine do in cosmetics?
Theobromine functions as: Skin-conditioning agent (methylxanthine class, related to caffeine and theophylline). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 83-67-0.
What is the NOAEL for Theobromine?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Theobromine is 53 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in rat. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Theobromine used outside cosmetics?
Theobromine also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Theobromine have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Theobromine is classified GHS Danger (H302, H319, H351, H341, H360, H370) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Theobromine 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
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