Is Cupric Oxide safe in cosmetics?
Cupric Oxide has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Cupric Oxide
Also known as: Copper oxide (CuO), Copper(II) oxide, Boliden Salt K-33, Boliden-CCA Wood Preservative, Caswell No. 265 (+13 more)
INCI: CUPRIC OXIDE
Cupric Oxide (CAS 1317-38-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Cosmetic colorant (CI 77402 — black copper oxide pigment). Reported NOAEL =78 mg/kg bw/day in Rat (ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID); 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 1317-38-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Cupric Oxide is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H400, H410, H412, H317, H335, H370).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Cosmetic colorant (CI 77402 — black copper oxide pigment)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
copper oxygen(2-)
InChIKey
KKCXRELNMOYFLS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not specifically FDA-approved as a color additive for cosmetics; general copper pigment use tolerated. No CIR final report specific to CuO.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cupric Oxide.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Cupric Oxide. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =78 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | chronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =185 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Mouse | chronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Environmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
M = 100; M = 10
Inserted via ATP: ATP17
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)
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)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Inhalation of copper fume results in the irritation of the upper respiratory tract. ... Contact with copper fumes will also cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. /Copper fumes/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Filler
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Cupric Oxide.
Regulatory Flags
colorant
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Cupric Oxide by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
2
Lowest NOAEL
78 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
185 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
Copper oxide (CuO)
Copper(II) oxide
Boliden Salt K-33
Boliden-CCA Wood Preservative
Caswell No. 265
CCA Type C Wood Preservative
Chrome Brown
CI Pigment black 15
EINECS 215-269-1
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 042401
Farboil Super Tropical Anti-Fouling 1260
Natural tenorite
Osmose K-33 Wood Preservative
Osmose K-33-A Wood Preservative
Osmose K-33-C Wood Preservative
Osmose P-50 Wood Preservative
Paramelaconite
UNII-V1XJQ704R4
Chemical Function
Biocide
Filler
Regulatory Lists
Europe; supplements
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables; 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
cupric oxide
Adverse Event Associations
263
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cupric Oxide allowed in the EU?
Cupric Oxide EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Cupric Oxide do in cosmetics?
Cupric Oxide functions as: Cosmetic colorant (CI 77402 — black copper oxide pigment). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 1317-38-0.
What is the NOAEL for Cupric Oxide?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cupric Oxide is =78 mg/kg bw/day based on a chronic study via oral route in Rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is Cupric Oxide used outside cosmetics?
Cupric Oxide 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 Cupric Oxide have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Cupric Oxide is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H400, H410, H412, H317, H335, H370).
Compliance Tools
Check Cupric Oxide 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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