Is Glyoxylic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Glyoxylic Acid has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Glyoxylic Acid
Also known as: Acetic acid, oxo-, 4-03-00-01489, BRN 0741891, EINECS 206-058-5, Formic acid, formyl- (+14 more)
INCI: GLYOXYLIC ACID
Glyoxylic Acid (CAS 298-12-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair straightening / smoothing agent. 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 298-12-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Glyoxylic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H290, H317, H318, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Hair straightening / smoothing agent
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
oxaldehydic acid
InChIKey
HHLFWLYXYJOTON-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — FDA monitoring hair smoothing products for formaldehyde release under heat
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Glyoxylic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | dermal | acute | ECHA IUCLID |
| LD50 | =2528 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =18000 ppm | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =18000 ppm | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =18000 ppm | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =6000 ppm | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | >=1000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | >=1000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | >=1000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =18000 ppm | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
CorrosiveHarmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Eye Dam. 1; Skin Sens. 1B
Hazard Statements
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
Inserted via ATP: ATP15
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
GROUP; SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
pediatric_safety
{"safe_for_newborn_0_6m": "avoid", "safe_for_infant_6_12m": "avoid", "safe_for_toddler_1_3y": "avoid", "safe_for_child_3_12y": "avoid", "safe_for_teen_12_18y": "caution", "pediatric_max_concentration_pct": "0.0", "adult_max_concentration_pct": "10.0", "pediatric_dermal_absorption_factor": "high", "immature_skin_barrier_risk": "high", "oral_ingestion_risk": "high", "eye_irritation_risk": "moderate"…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
A skin, eye, and mucous membrane irritant.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-static agent
Hair waving or straightening
pH regulating agent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Glyoxylic Acid.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Glyoxylic Acid by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
9
Lowest NOAEL
25 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
125 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Acetic acid, oxo-
4-03-00-01489
BRN 0741891
EINECS 206-058-5
Formic acid, formyl-
alpha-Ketoacetic acid
Kyselina glyoxylova
UNII-JQ39C92HH6
2-oxoacetic acid
Formylformate
Glyoxalsaeure
Glyoxylate
Oxalaldehydate
Oxoacetate
Oxoethanoate
a-Ketoacetate
a-Ketoacetic acid
alpha-Ketoacetate
oxaldehydic acid
Chemical Function
Anti-static agent
pH regulating agent
Hair waving or straightening
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
CEDI
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
GLYOXYLATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1162545
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glyoxylic Acid allowed in the EU?
Glyoxylic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Glyoxylic Acid do in cosmetics?
Glyoxylic Acid functions as: Hair straightening / smoothing agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 298-12-4.
Is Glyoxylic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Glyoxylic 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 Glyoxylic Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Glyoxylic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H290, H317, H318, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Glyoxylic 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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