Is Honey safe in cosmetics?
Honey has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Excellent
Cosmetic Ingredient
Honey
Also known as: Mel, Revamil
INCI: HONEY
Honey (CAS 8028-66-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Humectant, skin-conditioning agent, flavoring agent, solvent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 8028-66-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Humectant, skin-conditioning agent, flavoring agent, solvent
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — GRAS for food (40 CFR 180.950a); no cosmetic-specific CFR 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 Honey.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
7 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
baby_pediatric
{"cas_number": "8028-66-8/90063-77-7", "ingredient_class": "moisturizer_baby", "pediatric_safety_rating": "good", "minimum_age_months": "12", "neonatal_safe": "no", "premature_infant_safe": "insufficient_data", "skin_barrier_maturity_consideration": "Natural humectant - botulism <12mo", "transepidermal_absorption_risk_pediatric": "low", "systemic_exposure_concern_pediatric": "low", "dose_per_kg_bo…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "moisturizing", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "curly/coily", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "moisture", "moisture_protein_balance": "yes", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "not-a-sulfate", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "yes", "color_safe": "neutra…
humectant
{"cas_number": "8028-66-8", "ingredient_class": "humectant/sugar_derivative", "molecular_weight_Da": "variable", "chemical_type": "polysaccharide", "water_binding_mechanism": "hydrogen_bonding/hygroscopic/osmotic", "water_holding_capacity_g_per_g": "0.5-0.8", "hygroscopicity_at_50_RH": "excellent", "hygroscopicity_at_80_RH": "excellent", "NMF_component": "no", "NMF_percentage_natural": "0", "TEWL_…
pediatric_safety
{"safe_for_newborn_0_6m": "caution", "safe_for_infant_6_12m": "yes", "safe_for_toddler_1_3y": "yes", "safe_for_child_3_12y": "yes", "safe_for_teen_12_18y": "yes", "pediatric_max_concentration_pct": "10.0", "adult_max_concentration_pct": "10.0", "pediatric_dermal_absorption_factor": "normal", "immature_skin_barrier_risk": "low", "oral_ingestion_risk": "low", "diaper_area_safe": "yes", "pediatric_al…
ph_stability
{"optimal_ph_min": "3.5", "optimal_ph_max": "6.0", "stable_ph_min": "3.0", "stable_ph_max": "7.0", "degrades_above_ph": "7.5", "ph_dependent_function": "Natural humectant; acidic", "formulation_note": "Contains sugars and acids", "source": "Formulation literature"}
sensory
{"silky": "heavy", "smooth, glides easily": "thick, sticky", "dry-touch, non-greasy": "tacky, hydrated", "instant": "slow", "low": "high", "w/o": "o/w", "very-high": "low", "no": "no", "yes": "no", "1.40": "1.49", "transparent": "translucent", "colorless": "amber", "excellent": "poor", "light": "medium", "synthetic": "botanical"}
skin_suitability
{"oily_skin": "acceptable", "dry_skin": "recommended", "sensitive_skin": "acceptable", "combination_skin": "acceptable", "normal_skin": "recommended", "acne_prone": "acceptable", "rosacea": "acceptable", "eczema": "acceptable", "hyperpigmentation": "acceptable", "aging_mature": "acceptable", "dehydrated": "recommended", "skin_benefit_primary": "humectant", "skin_benefit_secondary": "antimicrobial"…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Honey.
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
Known Synonyms
Mel
Revamil
Chemical Function
Humectant
Softener and conditioner
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
Canada; pharmaceutical
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 count match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Adverse Event Associations
125
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Honey allowed in the EU?
Honey EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Honey do in cosmetics?
Honey functions as: Humectant, skin-conditioning agent, flavoring agent, solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 8028-66-8.
Is Honey used outside cosmetics?
Honey also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Honey 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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