Is Folic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Folic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Active Ingredient
Folic Acid
Also known as: L-Glutamic acid, N-[4-[[(2-amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-, Acfol, N-(4-((2-Amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid, Antianemia factor, EINECS 200-419-0 (+14 more)
INCI: FOLIC ACID
Folic Acid (CAS 59-30-3) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Anti-aging; DNA synthesis/repair support; skin conditioning; wound healing. 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 59-30-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Anti-aging; DNA synthesis/repair support; skin conditioning; wound healing
Safety Rating
GOOD
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No standalone CIR cosmetic safety assessment identified. FDA-GRAS for food use. Emerging anti-aging use for DNA repair activity. B9+B12 combination shows 25-30% wound closure improvement in clinical data. Critical stability issues: high heat and high light sensitivity require low-temperature manufacturing, opaque packaging, and neutral-alkaline pH formulation.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Folic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
1 toxicity value from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | =10000 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
DPRA Cys %
0%
DPRA Lys %
31%
KeratinoSens IC50
253.68 µM
hCLAT CV75
62.6 µg/mL
GHS: inconclusive
Source: DPRA: Cosmetics Europe; KS: Cosmetics Europe; hCLAT: Cosmetics Europe
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
Additional Ingredient Properties
2 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "59-30-3", "ingredient_class": "other", "primary_mechanism": "barrier_reinforcement", "pollution_types_targeted": "PM2_5", "IR_A_protection": "no", "visible_light_protection": "no", "digital_screen_protection_claim": "no", "PAH_neutralization": "no", "ozone_protection": "no", "mitochondrial_protection": "no", "Nrf2_activation": "no", "AhR_pathway_modulation": "no", "NF_kB_inhibition…
concentration
{"min_concentration_pct": "0.01", "max_concentration_pct": "0.5", "typical_concentration_pct": "0.1", "product_type": "Serum", "function_at_concentration": "Anti-aging, cell renewal", "source": "Clinical literature; Supplier TDS"}
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Folic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
anti-aging
dna-repair
wound-healing
high-heat-sensitivity
high-light-sensitivity
opaque-packaging-required
formulation-challenge
b9-b12-synergy
emerging-ingredient
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
L-Glutamic acid, N-[4-[[(2-amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-
Acfol
N-(4-((2-Amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid
Antianemia factor
EINECS 200-419-0
Factor U
Folasic
Folcysteine
Folico
Folina
L-Glutamic acid, N-(4-((2-amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-
Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, L-
Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxypyrimido(4,5-b)pyrazin-6-yl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, L
Glutamic acid, pteroyl-, L-
Mittafol
PGA (VAN)
4-Pteridinol, 2-amino-6-((p-((1,3-dicarboxypropyl)carbamoyl)anilino)methyl)-
Pteroylmonoglutamate
Vitamin B11
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
pharmaceutical
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Europe; supplements
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Europe; supplements
Europe; food_additive; supplements
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
FOLIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1622
Max Phase
4
Adverse Event Associations
10140
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Folic Acid allowed in the EU?
Folic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Folic Acid do in cosmetics?
Folic Acid functions as: Anti-aging; DNA synthesis/repair support; skin conditioning; wound healing. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 59-30-3.
Is Folic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Folic 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Folic 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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