Is Ferric Citrate safe in cosmetics?
Ferric Citrate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
Ferric Citrate
Also known as: Citric acid, iron salt, Iron citrate, Iron 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate, Iron(III)-citrate, Iron (III) citrate
INCI: FERRIC CITRATE
Ferric Citrate (CAS 2338-05-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Cosmetic colorant, astringent. NOAEL 2800 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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 food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 2338-05-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Cosmetic colorant, astringent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid;iron
InChIKey
HUTBITLDXCEAPZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — no specific CFR cosmetic restriction
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ferric Citrate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Ferric Citrate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ferric Citrate.
Regulatory Flags
colorant
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Citric acid, iron salt
Iron citrate
Iron 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate
Iron(III)-citrate
Iron (III) citrate
Chemical Function
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in food safety data.
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
IRON CITRATE
Food Category
fortification
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ferric Citrate allowed in the EU?
Ferric Citrate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ferric Citrate do in cosmetics?
Ferric Citrate functions as: Cosmetic colorant, astringent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 2338-05-8.
Is Ferric Citrate used outside cosmetics?
Ferric Citrate also appears in industrial chemical safety and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Ferric Citrate 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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