Is Madecassic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Madecassic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Madecassic Acid
INCI: MADECASSIC ACID
Madecassic Acid (CAS 18449-41-7) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Triterpenoid pentacyclic acid; aglycone of madecassoside from Centella. 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 18449-41-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Triterpenoid pentacyclic acid; aglycone of madecassoside from Centella asiatica. Active via TGF-beta/Smad-driven extracellular matrix anabolism: upregulates collagen I, fibronectin, and hydroxyproline synthesis; attenuates NF-kB and JAK/STAT3 inflammatory signaling. Complementary to asiatic acid in the Centella triterpenoid quartet. Photoprotective: protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte apoptosis via Ca2+/AMPK- and mTOR-dependent ERK phosphorylation pathways. Wound healing, barrier resilience, and anti-aging active.
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(1S,2R,4aS,6aR,6aS,6bR,8R,8aR,9R,10R,11R,12aR,14bS)-8,10,11-trihydroxy-9-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2,6a,6b,9,12a-hexamethyl-2,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,10,11,12,13,14b-tetradecahydro-1H-picene-4a-carboxylic acid
InChIKey
PRAUVHZJPXOEIF-AOLYGAPISA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR assessed as part of Centella asiatica ingredient group; concluded safe in present practices of use. Formulations must be non-sensitising per CIR conditional conclusion. MoCRA safety substantiation required.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Madecassic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Madecassic Acid, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
3-8%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum/epidermis
Molecular Weight
504.7 Da
Log P
5.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
2-6%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Int Wound J 2016
Additional Ingredient Properties
3 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "18449-41-7", "anti_acne_mechanism": "anti_inflammatory", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "0-10", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "No limit", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne": "No", "eu_cosmetic_restrictio…
anti_aging
{"anti_aging_claim": "collagen-boosting, barrier-repair", "mechanism_of_action": "Bioactive compound, specialized mechanism", "target_skin_layer": "epidermis, dermis", "collagen_stimulation": "Yes", "elastin_protection": "Mild", "wrinkle_reduction_pct": "12-22", "clinical_study_duration_weeks": "12", "sample_size": "35", "double_blind": "Yes", "placebo_controlled": "Yes", "published_journal": "JAA…
dermal_absorption
{"molecular_weight_da": "504.7", "log_p_value": "5.8", "skin_penetration_level": "stratum-corneum", "penetration_depth": "stratum corneum/epidermis", "absorption_pct": "3-8", "systemic_absorption": "minimal", "penetration_enhancer": "no", "occlusion_effect": "no", "vehicle_dependent": "yes", "skin_barrier_effect": "strengthens", "bioavailability_topical_pct": "2-6", "safety_margin_factor": "low", …
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Madecassic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
cir-assessed
centella-asiatica
anti-inflammatory
collagen-synthesis
wound-healing
photoprotective
sensitization-data-required
advanced-delivery-beneficial
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
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
MADECASSIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL481854
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Madecassic Acid allowed in the EU?
Madecassic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Madecassic Acid do in cosmetics?
Madecassic Acid functions as: Triterpenoid pentacyclic acid; aglycone of madecassoside from Centella asiatica. Active via TGF-beta/Smad-driven extracellular matrix anabolism: upregulates collagen I, fibronectin, and hydroxyproline synthesis; attenuates NF-kB and JAK/STAT3 inflammatory signaling. Complementary to asiatic acid in the Centella triterpenoid quartet. Photoprotective: protects against UVB-induced keratinocyte apoptosis via Ca2+/AMPK- and mTOR-dependent ERK phosphorylation pathways. Wound healing, barrier resilience, and anti-aging active.. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 18449-41-7.
Is Madecassic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Madecassic Acid also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
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Heavy Metal Limits
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