Is Methacrylic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Methacrylic Acid has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Methacrylic Acid
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-methylpropenoic acid, 2-Methylprop-2-enoic acid, 4-02-00-01518, Acrylic acid, 2-methyl- (+12 more)
INCI: METHACRYLIC ACID
Methacrylic Acid (CAS 79-41-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Buffering agent; also functions as a polymerization monomer for cosmetic-grade. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; GHS signal word DANGER. 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 79-41-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Methacrylic Acid is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H311, H312, H314, H318, H332, H335, H227).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Buffering agent; also functions as a polymerization monomer for cosmetic-grade copolymers
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methylprop-2-enoic acid
InChIKey
CERQOIWHTDAKMF-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not prohibited or restricted. Used in cosmetics and also has food-contact clearances from FDA
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Methacrylic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
SkullToxicCorr
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed Toxic in contact with skin or if inhaled Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation Harmful to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. Inhalation of the vapour may cause lung oedema. See Notes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Harmful / IrritantCorrosive
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *; Acute Tox. 4 *; Skin Corr. 1A
Hazard Statements
- H312 Harmful in contact with skin
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
STOT SE 3; H335: C ≥ 1.0%
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
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.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | restricted | Label required if >5% | Nail products primarily |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0917
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Irritating to skin, eyes, and respiratory system. /Methacrylic acid, inhibited/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Adhesion/cohesion promoter
Film former
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Methacrylic Acid.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Methacrylic Acid by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
15
Lowest NOAEL
0.05 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
450 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-
2-methylpropenoic acid
2-Methylprop-2-enoic acid
4-02-00-01518
Acrylic acid, 2-methyl-
BRN 1719937
EINECS 201-204-4
alpha-Methylacrylic acid
Propenoic acid, 2-methyl
Propionic acid, 2-methylene-
Kyselina methakrylova
UNII-1CS02G8656
2-Methylpropensaeure
2-methylenepropionic acid
Methakrylsaeure
alpha-methacrylic acid
Methacrylate
Chemical Function
Film former
Adhesion/cohesion promoter
Regulatory Lists
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
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
METHACRYLIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1213531
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Methacrylic Acid allowed in the EU?
Methacrylic Acid EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Methacrylic Acid do in cosmetics?
Methacrylic Acid functions as: Buffering agent; also functions as a polymerization monomer for cosmetic-grade copolymers. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 79-41-4.
Is Methacrylic Acid classified as hazardous under GHS?
Methacrylic Acid carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed Toxic in contact with skin or if inhaled Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation Harmful to aquatic life. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Methacrylic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Methacrylic 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 Methacrylic Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Methacrylic Acid is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H311, H312, H314, H318, H332, H335, H227).
Compliance Tools
Check Methacrylic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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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