Is Urocanic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Urocanic Acid has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
MODERATE
Cosmetic Ingredient
Urocanic Acid
Also known as: (E)-3-(4-Imidazolyl)acrylic acid, (E)-Urocanic acid, (E)-3-(Imidazol-4-yl)-2-propenoic acid, (E)-3-(1H-Imidazol-4-yl)-2-propenoic acid, Imidazole-4-acrylic acid, (E)-
INCI: UROCANIC ACID
Urocanic Acid (CAS 104-98-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as UV absorber / UV filter, skin conditioning agent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
Function
UV absorber / UV filter, skin conditioning agent
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(E)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)prop-2-enoic acid
InChIKey
LOIYMIARKYCTBW-OWOJBTEDSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not an FDA-approved OTC sunscreen active; not in FDA's sunscreen monograph
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Urocanic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
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.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (2)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | banned | - | all cosmetics (except physiological amounts) |
| KR | prohibited | - | - |
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Urocanic Acid — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Known Synonyms
(E)-3-(4-Imidazolyl)acrylic acid
(E)-Urocanic acid
(E)-3-(Imidazol-4-yl)-2-propenoic acid
(E)-3-(1H-Imidazol-4-yl)-2-propenoic acid
Imidazole-4-acrylic acid, (E)-
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Urocanic Acid allowed in the EU?
Urocanic Acid EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Urocanic Acid do in cosmetics?
Urocanic Acid functions as: UV absorber / UV filter, skin conditioning agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 104-98-3.
Compliance Tools
Check Urocanic Acid 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
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