Is OXALIC ACID safe in cosmetics?
OXALIC ACID has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. 1 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
OXALIC ACID
Also known as: Ethanedioic acid, Aktisal, Aquisal, DeerClean, NSC 132055 (+15 more)
OXALIC ACID (CAS 144-62-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Chelating. Reported NOAEL =162 mg/kg bw/day in Mouse (ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max III/3; 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 144-62-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
OXALIC ACID is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H318, H314, H373, H361, H371, H372) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max III/3.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Chelating
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
oxalic acid
InChIKey
MUBZPKHOEPUJKR-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
III/3
US US Status
Not specifically regulated
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Toxicological Studies
1 study endpoint found for OXALIC ACID. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =162 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Mouse | chronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
CorrExcl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. The substance may cause effects on the calcium balance after ingestion. Exposure at high levels could cause death.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis. Exposure may result in kidney stones, slow-healing ulcers and black finger nails.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion. Serious local effects by all routes of exposure.
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 | >20000 mg/kg | Rat | dermal | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | ~5000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | ~2000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | =1900 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOEL | =1980 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOEL | =1780 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOEL | =450 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOEL | =340 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =162 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | ~5000 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | subchronic | ECHA IUCLID |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *; Acute Tox. 4 *
Hazard Statements
- H312 Harmful in contact with skin
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
*
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
DPRA Cys %
0.9%
DPRA Lys %
-0.9%
KeratinoSens IC50
2000 µM
hCLAT CV75
1000 µg/mL
LLNA EC3
15%
NESIL
3750 µg/cm²
LLNA: Weak (1B)
GHS: 1B
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005); DPRA: Gerberick et al. 2007 [DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfm064]; KS: Natsch et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1002/jat.2868]; hCLAT: Ashikaga et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1177/026119291003800403]
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)
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 (III - Restricted)
Product type: Hair products. Max: 0.05.
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Restricted · max 0.05
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (3)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | restricted | 5 | Hair care products |
| BR | restricted | 5 | Professional hair treatments only |
| ASEAN | restricted | 5% | Hair care products |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity (not listed by IARC). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
0529
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
The chief effects of inhalation of the dust or vapor are irritation of the eyes and upper respiratory tract.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Chelating agent
Cleaning agent
Fragrance
Tanning agents not otherwise specified
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for OXALIC ACID.
Regulatory Flags
cosing-sourced
eu-restricted
needs-enrichment
ifra_fragrance
eu_cosing_listed
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to OXALIC ACID by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
1
Lowest NOAEL
162 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
162 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
Ethanedioic acid
Aktisal
Aquisal
DeerClean
NSC 132055
4-02-00-01819
BRN 0385686
Caswell No. 625
EINECS 205-634-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 009601
NCI-C55209
Oxiric acid
Acidum oxalicum
Acido ossalico
UNII-9E7R5L6H31
Ammonium oxalate
Ethandisaeure
Ethane-1,2-dioate
Ethanedioate
Ethanedionate
Chemical Function
Chelating agent
pH regulating agent
Tanning agents not otherwise specified
Cleaning agent
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
pharmaceutical
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Cleaning products and household care; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - laundry and fabric treatment - laundry stain remover; detected; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - laundry and fabric treatment - laundry stain remover; detected; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - laundry and fabric treatment - laundry stain remover; Europe
Europe; Specialty occupational products
Canada; pharmaceutical
Europe; Personal care; restricted
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
OXALIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL146755
Max Phase
-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OXALIC ACID allowed in the EU?
OXALIC ACID EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: III/3. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does OXALIC ACID do in cosmetics?
OXALIC ACID functions as: Chelating. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 144-62-7.
What is the NOAEL for OXALIC ACID?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for OXALIC ACID is =162 mg/kg bw/day based on a chronic study via oral route in Mouse. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is OXALIC ACID classified as hazardous under GHS?
OXALIC ACID carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation. 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 OXALIC ACID used outside cosmetics?
OXALIC 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 OXALIC ACID have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
OXALIC ACID is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H318, H314, H373, H361, H371, H372) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max III/3.
Compliance Tools
Check OXALIC 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
Related Ingredients
2,6-DICARBOXYPYRIDINE
Good
Same category
Chelating
CURCUBITURILS
Good
Same category
Absorbent, Chelating, Emulsion Stabil...
DISODIUM GLUCARATE/GLUCONATE/GLUCURONATE/GLYCOLATE/KETOGLUCONATE/OXALATE/TARTRATE/TARTRONATE
Good
Same category
Chelating
OCTYL POLYSTYRENE OXIDE/PEG-10 COPOLYMER
Good
Same category
Antistatic, Chelating
PENTETIC ACID
Good
Same category
Chelating
PHOSPHONOBUTANETRICARBOXYLIC ACID
Good
Same category
Anticorrosive, Buffering, Chelating
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
Acetyl Triethylhexyl Citrate
Excellent
Chemical family
Emollient, Film Forming, Plasticiser
Linalyl Propionate
Moderate
Chemical family
Perfuming / Fragrance - floral-type o...
Trimethyl-1,3-Pentanediol
Good
Chemical family
Solvent (dissolves other substances)
Is OXALIC ACID in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for OXALIC ACID in your formulation.