Is Potassium Chlorate safe in cosmetics?
Potassium Chlorate has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: restricted.
Potassium Chlorate
Also known as: Chlorate of potash, Chlorate of potassium, EINECS 223-289-7, NSC 68505, Oxymuriate of potash (+5 more)
INCI: POTASSIUM CHLORATE
Potassium Chlorate (CAS 3811-04-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Oxidising agent (historically in oral care products). NOAEL 35 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 5%; 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 3811-04-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Potassium Chlorate is classified GHS Danger (H271, H301, H302, H332, H411, H272, H316, H320) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 5%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Oxidising agent (historically in oral care products)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
potassium chlorate
InChIKey
VKJKEPKFPUWCAS-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
5%
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
No specific FDA cosmetic ban, but limited use; not GRAS; significant toxicity concerns limit practical application
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Potassium Chlorate.
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
Flam circleExcl markWarnEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer Harmful if swallowed or if inhaled Causes damage to blood May cause damage to blood through prolonged or repeated exposure Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the blood and kidneys. This may result in haemolysis, the formation of methaemoglobin and kidney impairment. The effects may be delayed. Medical observation is indicated.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance may have effects on the blood. This may result in the formation of methaemoglobin.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by ingestion and by inhalation of dust.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Potassium Chlorate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
OxidiserAcute Toxicity
Hazard Class and Category
Ox. Sol. 1; Acute Tox. 3
Hazard Statements
- H271 May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidiser
- H301 Toxic if swallowed
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
oral: ATE = 100.0 mg/kg bw
Inserted via ATP: ATP21
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Suspected
Evidence: Moderate
(2025)
Health effects: Yes
Affected pathways: Thyroid (iodine uptake inhibition)
Regulatory framework: REACH
Source list: II
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0548
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Causes irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. | Inhalation of dust can irritate nose & throat. Contact with eyes or skin causes irritation. | Contact with the material may cause irritation to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. /Potassium chlorate, aqueous solution/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
POTASSIUM CHLORATE | 1969 | NOT TO BE USED | NMRS 46/TRS 445-JECFA 13/21 | NOT PREPARED
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Oxidizing agent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Potassium Chlorate.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Potassium Chlorate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
33
Lowest NOAEL
35 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Chlorate of potash
Chlorate of potassium
EINECS 223-289-7
NSC 68505
Oxymuriate of potash
Potash chlorate
Salt of tarter
UNII-H35KS68EE7
Chloric acid potassium salt (1:1)
Kaliumchloraat
Chemical Function
Oxidizing agent
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3188561
Adverse Event Associations
776
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Potassium Chlorate allowed in the EU?
Potassium Chlorate EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 5%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Potassium Chlorate do in cosmetics?
Potassium Chlorate functions as: Oxidising agent (historically in oral care products). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 3811-04-9.
Is Potassium Chlorate classified as hazardous under GHS?
Potassium Chlorate carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer Harmful if swallowed or if inhaled Causes damage to blood May cause damage to blood through prolonged or repeated exposure Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. 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 Potassium Chlorate used outside cosmetics?
Potassium Chlorate 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 Potassium Chlorate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Potassium Chlorate is classified GHS Danger (H271, H301, H302, H332, H411, H272, H316, H320) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 5%.
Compliance Tools
Check Potassium Chlorate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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