Is Colloidal Gold safe in cosmetics?
Colloidal Gold has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Colloidal Gold
Also known as: CI Pigment metal 3, EINECS 231-165-9, Gold, colloidal, Magnesium gold purple, UNII-79Y1949PYO (+10 more)
INCI: GOLD (NANO)
Colloidal Gold (CAS 7440-57-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Anti-aging active; anti-inflammatory; skin repair; colloidal dispersion of gold. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. 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 7440-57-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Colloidal Gold is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word
Function
Anti-aging active; anti-inflammatory; skin repair; colloidal dispersion of gold nanoparticles in liquid medium; marketed in luxury serums and creams
Safety Rating
POOR
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not specifically prohibited by FDA for functional (non-colorant) cosmetic use. Gold (CI 77480) was delisted as a color additive in 1976 and cannot be used as a colorant. No GRAS/GRASE status. Under MoCRA, manufacturers must substantiate safety; SCCS concerns and EU prohibition create significant liability. No CIR Expert Panel assessment exists.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Colloidal Gold.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex IV — Permitted Colorants
Product type: Brown
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.
SA Saudi SFDA (IV - Colorants)
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Permitted Colorant
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (2)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | permitted_colorant | - | All cosmetics (Class 1) |
| ASEAN | permitted_colorant | - | All products |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Dye
Plating agent
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Colloidal Gold.
Regulatory Flags
eu-prohibited
nano-restricted
genotoxicity-concern
systemic-absorption
organ-accumulation
no-mos
canada-restricted
mocra-substantiation-required
contact-allergen-risk
fda-color-delisted
eu_cosing_listed
jecfa_concern
Known Synonyms
CI Pigment metal 3
EINECS 231-165-9
Gold, colloidal
Magnesium gold purple
UNII-79Y1949PYO
Aurum metallicum
79Au
Au
aurum
or
oro
gold atom
Au(0)
Aun
gold(0)
Chemical Function
Dye
Biocide
Softener and conditioner
Plating agent
Regulatory Lists
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - body paint - tattoo ink; detected; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - body paint - tattoo ink; detected; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - body paint - tattoo ink; detected; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - body paint - tattoo ink; detected; Europe
pharmaceutical
Europe; Personal care
Canada; pharmaceutical
Europe; Personal care - hair coloring
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA count match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Adverse Event Associations
2261
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colloidal Gold allowed in the EU?
Colloidal Gold EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Colloidal Gold do in cosmetics?
Colloidal Gold functions as: Anti-aging active; anti-inflammatory; skin repair; colloidal dispersion of gold nanoparticles in liquid medium; marketed in luxury serums and creams. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7440-57-5.
Is Colloidal Gold used outside cosmetics?
Colloidal Gold 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 Colloidal Gold have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Colloidal Gold is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications.
Compliance Tools
Check Colloidal Gold 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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