Is HC Blue No. 4 safe in cosmetics?
HC Blue No. 4 has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
HC Blue No. 4
Also known as: HC Blue 4, 9,10-anthracenedione, N-methyl-1,4-diamino-, product with chloromethyloxirane and 2-aminoethanol, N-Methyl-1,4-diaminoanthraquinone, reaction products with epichlorohydrin and monoethanolamine
INCI: HC BLUE NO. 4
HC Blue No. 4 (CAS 158571-57-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair dyeing — anthraquinone derivative (reaction product of. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 158571-57-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Hair dyeing — anthraquinone derivative (reaction product of N-methyl-1,4-diaminoanthraquinone with epichlorohydrin and monoethanolamine)
Safety Rating
POOR
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
Not explicitly prohibited by FDA; falls under coal tar hair dye exemption (21 CFR 740.2). However, Canada: PROHIBITED — Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for HC Blue No. 4.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 1256
(EC) 2009/1223
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 (II - Prohibited)
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: 1256
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (2)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | banned | - | - |
| KR | prohibited | - | - |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for HC Blue No. 4.
Regulatory Flags
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_cosing_listed
Known Synonyms
HC Blue 4
9,10-anthracenedione, N-methyl-1,4-diamino-, product with chloromethyloxirane and 2-aminoethanol
N-Methyl-1,4-diaminoanthraquinone, reaction products with epichlorohydrin and monoethanolamine
Chemical Function
Dye
Regulatory Lists
banned; Europe; Personal care
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HC Blue No. 4 allowed in the EU?
HC Blue No. 4 EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does HC Blue No. 4 do in cosmetics?
HC Blue No. 4 functions as: Hair dyeing — anthraquinone derivative (reaction product of N-methyl-1,4-diaminoanthraquinone with epichlorohydrin and monoethanolamine). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 158571-57-4.
Compliance Tools
Check HC Blue No. 4 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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