Excellent Antioxidant

Tocopherol

INCI: TOCOPHEROL

CAS Number
59-02-9
Function
Antioxidant; chain-breaking free radical scavenger (HAT mechanism); lipophilic skin-conditioning agent; product stabiliser against oxidative rancidity; photoprotective booster
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes FDA GRAS for food use (21 CFR 182.3890). CIR Expert Panel final report confirms safety of tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, and mixed tocopherols as used in cosmetics at typical use levels (0.01–1%). No concentration limits for cosmetic use.

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
high
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Gold-standard lipophilic antioxidant for both product stabilisation and skin anti-aging benefit. Effective at 0.01–0.05% as product antioxidant; 0.05–1% for skin benefit. Photosensitive in pure form — opaque/airless packaging is mandatory. The C+E+ferulic acid combination clinically inhibits UV-induced erythema, sunburn cell formation, and thymine dimer DNA damage. Vitamin C regenerates oxidised vitamin E — making C+E synergistic rather than additive. Ferulic acid at 0.5% doubles the photoprotective capacity of this combination. No regulatory restrictions.

⚠️
Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

antioxidant lipophilic hat-mechanism chain-breaking uv-sensitive unstable-pure-form opaque-packaging-required synergistic-with-vitamin-c photoprotective cir-reviewed gras anti-aging epa_safer_alternative ifra_fragrance

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tocopherol safe in cosmetics?

Gold-standard lipophilic antioxidant for both product stabilisation and skin anti-aging benefit. Effective at 0.01–0.05% as product antioxidant; 0.05–1% for skin benefit. Photosensitive in pure form — opaque/airless packaging is mandatory. The C+E+ferulic acid combination clinically inhibits UV-induced erythema, sunburn cell formation, and thymine dimer DNA damage. Vitamin C regenerates oxidised vitamin E — making C+E synergistic rather than additive. Ferulic acid at 0.5% doubles the photoprotective capacity of this combination. No regulatory restrictions. The EU classifies Tocopherol as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Tocopherol allowed in the EU?

Tocopherol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Tocopherol do in cosmetics?

Tocopherol functions as: Antioxidant; chain-breaking free radical scavenger (HAT mechanism); lipophilic skin-conditioning agent; product stabiliser against oxidative rancidity; photoprotective booster. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 59-02-9.

What is the Margin of Safety for Tocopherol?

adequate The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

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