Is Potassium Oxide safe in cosmetics?
Potassium Oxide has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Potassium Oxide
Also known as: Potassium oxide (K2O), EINECS 235-227-6, UNII-58D606078H
INCI: POTASSIUM OXIDE
Potassium Oxide (CAS 12136-45-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Not a standard cosmetic functional ingredient; K2O is a strongly alkaline. NOAEL 1500 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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 data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 12136-45-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Potassium Oxide is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H314, H318).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Not a standard cosmetic functional ingredient; K2O is a strongly alkaline inorganic compound that reacts with water to form KOH
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
dipotassium;oxygen(2-)
InChIKey
CHWRSCGUEQEHOH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
KOH (the hydration product) is GRAS and permitted in cosmetics as pH adjuster; potassium oxide itself is not commonly formulated directly
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 Oxide.
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
Corr
Hazard Statements
Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. Inhalation of the aerosol may cause lung oedema. See Notes. Medical observation is indicated.
Routes of Exposure
Serious local effects by all routes of exposure.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Potassium Oxide across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
0769
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Binder
Catalyst
Degradant/impurity
Flux agent
pH regulating agent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Potassium Oxide.
Known Synonyms
Potassium oxide (K2O)
EINECS 235-227-6
UNII-58D606078H
Chemical Function
pH regulating agent
Binder
Flux agent
Degradant/impurity
Catalyst
Regulatory Lists
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
agricultural; applied; fruits_and_vegetables
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Potassium Oxide allowed in the EU?
Potassium Oxide EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Potassium Oxide do in cosmetics?
Potassium Oxide functions as: Not a standard cosmetic functional ingredient; K2O is a strongly alkaline inorganic compound that reacts with water to form KOH. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 12136-45-7.
Is Potassium Oxide classified as hazardous under GHS?
Potassium Oxide carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. 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 Oxide used outside cosmetics?
Potassium Oxide also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Potassium Oxide have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Potassium Oxide is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H314, H318).
Compliance Tools
Check Potassium Oxide 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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