Is Capric Acid safe in cosmetics?
Capric Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Emollient
Capric Acid
Also known as: 4-02-00-01041, C10 fatty acid, BRN 1754556, EINECS 206-376-4, Fatty acid(C10) (+14 more)
INCI: CAPRIC ACID
Capric Acid (CAS 334-48-5) is a cosmetic emollient functioning as Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C10:0). Functions as emollient,. 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 334-48-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Capric Acid is classified GHS Danger (H315, H319, H412, H318) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C10:0). Functions as emollient, skin-conditioning agent, and antimicrobial agent. Paired with caprylic acid in coconut/palm kernel fractionation to produce caprylic/capric triglyceride (MCT). Antimicrobial activity via membrane disruption.
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
decanoic acid
InChIKey
GHVNFZFCNZKVNT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Medium-chain saturated fatty acid. Better tolerated at equivalent concentrations than long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. Commonly used in esterified form (caprylic/capric triglyceride) rather than as free acid.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Capric Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
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
Skin Irrit. 2; Eye Irrit. 2; Aquatic Chronic 3
Hazard Statements
- H315 Causes skin irritation
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation
- H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Inserted via ATP: ATP07
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 675 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Additional Ingredient Properties
4 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
comedogenicity_detail
{"comedogenicity_rating": "2", "irritancy_rating": "2", "skin_type_suitability": "oily,combination", "acne_safe": "caution", "source": "Medium-chain FA"}
deodorant
{"cas_number": "334-48-5", "ingredient_class": "antimicrobial_deodorant", "mechanism_of_action": "bacterial_growth_inhibition", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "6-10", "odor_reduction_pct": "30-50", "bacteriostatic": "yes", "bactericidal": "yes", "target_bacteria": "limited", "microbiome_impact": "selective", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies by …
solubility_hlb
{"water_soluble": "partial", "oil_soluble": "yes", "hlb_required": "11.0", "soluble_in": "oils, ethanol, water", "insoluble_in": "glycerin", "log_p": "3.8", "melting_point_c": "31-32", "appearance": "white solid", "source": "BASF"}
uv_stability
{"uv_stable": "yes", "uv_degradation_rate": "stable", "photosensitizer": "no", "phototoxic": "no", "photoallergic": "no", "requires_uv_protection_packaging": "no", "color_change_uv": "no", "odor_change_uv": "no", "efficacy_loss_uv_pct": "0", "spf_contribution": "no", "uva_protection": "no", "uvb_protection": "no", "photostable_sunscreen": "no", "boost_spf_of_others": "no", "antioxidant_under_uv": …
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity (not listed by IARC). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
n-Decanoic acid was irritant to the skin of humans ... No skin sensitization was induced in volunteers treated with a dilute solution.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
105
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
CAPRIC ACID | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
DECANOIC ACID | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Catalyst
Cleaning agent
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Lubricating agent
No specific technical function
Plasticizer
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory List Membership (4)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Capric Acid.
Regulatory Flags
antimicrobial
free-fatty-acid-form
use-esterified-preferred
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
4-02-00-01041
C10 fatty acid
BRN 1754556
EINECS 206-376-4
Fatty acid(C10)
FEMA No. 2364
Hexacid 1095
Econosan Acid Sanitizer
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 128955
UNII-4G9EDB6V73
1-Nonanecarboxylate
10:0
C10:0
CH3-[CH2]8-COOH
Caprate
Caprinate
Caprynate
Decanoate
Decoate
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Fragrance
Cleaning agent
No specific technical function
Regulatory Lists
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
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
DECANOIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL107498
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Capric Acid allowed in the EU?
Capric Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Capric Acid do in cosmetics?
Capric Acid functions as: Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C10:0). Functions as emollient, skin-conditioning agent, and antimicrobial agent. Paired with caprylic acid in coconut/palm kernel fractionation to produce caprylic/capric triglyceride (MCT). Antimicrobial activity via membrane disruption.. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 334-48-5.
Is Capric Acid used outside cosmetics?
Capric Acid 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 Capric Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Capric Acid is classified GHS Danger (H315, H319, H412, H318) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Capric Acid 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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