Is Adapalene safe in cosmetics?
Adapalene has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Adapalene
Also known as: 6-(3-(1-Adamantyl)-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-naphthoic acid, Differin, Adapaleno, Adapalenum, UNII-1L4806J2QF (+1 more)
INCI: ADAPALENE
Adapalene (CAS 106685-40-9) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as skin-conditioning, anti-aging. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.1%. 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 106685-40-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Adapalene is classified GHS CMR hazard (H302, H315, H317, H319, H335, H361) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.1%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
skin-conditioning, anti-aging
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid
InChIKey
LZCDAPDGXCYOEH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES
COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C2=CC3=C(C=C2)C=C(C=C3)C(=O)O)C45CC6CC(C4)CC(C6)C5
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.1%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
0.1% OTC approved for acne; 0.3% Rx. Anti-inflammatory retinoid with selective RAR binding.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Adapalene.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Adapalene, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
4-8%
Penetration Level
epidermis
Penetration Depth
epidermis
Molecular Weight
412.5 Da
Log P
8.5
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
2-6%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: FDA Dermatology
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 (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| KR | prohibited | - | - |
Additional Ingredient Properties
10 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "106685-40-9", "anti_acne_mechanism": "keratolytic/comedolytic/anti_inflammatory", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory/non_inflammatory", "p_acnes_mic_ug_per_ml": "No direct antibacterial", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "5-10", "keratolytic_strength": "strong", "exfoliation_mechanism": "chemical", "optimal_ph_for_efficacy": "5.0-7.0", "peel_dep…
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "anti-wrinkle, pore-minimizing, cell-turnover, brightening", "mechanism_of_action": "Third-generation retinoid, selective RAR-gamma agonist, normalizes differentiation", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis, follicles", "collagen_stimulation": "Moderate", "elastin_protection": "Moderate", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "18-25", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "12", "sample_size": "90", …
concentration
{"min_concentration_pct": "0.1", "max_concentration_pct": "0.3", "typical_concentration_pct": "0.1", "product_type": "Cream", "function_at_concentration": "Anti-acne", "source": "FDA OTC Monograph"}
dermal_absorption
{"molecular_weight_da": "412.5", "log_p_value": "8.5", "skin_penetration_level": "epidermis", "penetration_depth": "epidermis", "absorption_pct": "4-8", "systemic_absorption": "minimal", "penetration_enhancer": "no", "occlusion_effect": "no", "vehicle_dependent": "yes", "skin_barrier_effect": "weakens", "bioavailability_topical_pct": "2-6", "safety_margin_factor": "low", "source": "FDA Dermatology…
interactions
{"ingredient_2": "Salicylic Acid", "interaction_type": "pH_dependent", "severity": "caution", "effect": "Increased dryness and peeling, barrier compromise", "recommendation": "May be prescribed together for acne but requires tolerance building", "data_source": "Formulation science literature, dermatological research, cosmetic chemistry best practices", "last_updated": "2026-03-05"}
pediatric_safety
{"safe_for_newborn_0_6m": "avoid", "safe_for_infant_6_12m": "avoid", "safe_for_toddler_1_3y": "avoid", "safe_for_child_3_12y": "avoid", "safe_for_teen_12_18y": "caution", "pediatric_max_concentration_pct": "0.0", "adult_max_concentration_pct": "0.1", "pediatric_dermal_absorption_factor": "very high", "immature_skin_barrier_risk": "very high", "oral_ingestion_risk": "moderate", "eye_irritation_risk…
pregnancy_detail
{"pregnancy_safe": "no", "breastfeeding_safe": "no", "trimester_restriction": "all", "risk_category": "FDA-C", "reason": "Retinoid; insufficient safety data in pregnancy", "alternative_ingredient": "Azelaic Acid", "source": "FDA; dermatology literature"}
skin_brightening
{"cas_number": "106685-40-9", "mechanism_of_action": "Retinoid receptor modulation; comedolytic", "melanogenesis_pathway_target": "Retinoid receptors; MITF", "tyrosinase_inhibition_ic50_um": "Not direct tyrosinase inhibitor", "tyrosinase_inhibition_vs_kojic_acid": "Indirect (receptor)", "melanosome_transfer_inhibitor": "No", "melanin_oxidation_reducer": "Partial", "endothelin_pathway_blocker": "No…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Adapalene.
Regulatory Flags
rx-only
rar-selective
lower-irritation
Known Synonyms
6-(3-(1-Adamantyl)-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-naphthoic acid
Differin
Adapaleno
Adapalenum
UNII-1L4806J2QF
Adapalen
Regulatory Lists
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
pharmaceutical
pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
adapalene
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1265
Adverse Event Associations
257
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Adapalene allowed in the EU?
Adapalene EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.1%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Adapalene do in cosmetics?
Adapalene functions as: skin-conditioning, anti-aging. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 106685-40-9.
Is Adapalene used outside cosmetics?
Adapalene 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 Adapalene have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Adapalene is classified GHS CMR hazard (H302, H315, H317, H319, H335, H361) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.1%.
Compliance Tools
Check Adapalene 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
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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