Is Sodium Chlorite safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Chlorite has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 8 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Sodium Chlorite
Also known as: Chlorous acid, sodium salt, Caswell No. 755, EINECS 231-836-6, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 020502, Textile (+4 more)
INCI: SODIUM CHLORITE
Sodium Chlorite (CAS 7758-19-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Oxidizing agent, antimicrobial, oral care agent (tooth whitening). Reported NOAEL 0.77 mg/kg bw/day in rat (COSMOS_DB); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted. 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 7758-19-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sodium Chlorite is classified GHS Danger (H271, H272, H301, H310, H314, H318, H373, H400) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Oxidizing agent, antimicrobial, oral care agent (tooth whitening)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium chlorite
InChIKey
UKLNMMHNWFDKNT-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted in cosmetics at safe concentrations; used in oral care products
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sodium Chlorite.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
8 study endpoints found for Sodium Chlorite. 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 | 0.77 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Special Toxicology Study | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 1.7 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 4 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 7 mg/kg bw/day | oral | cat | Special Toxicology Study | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 10 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =3 mg/kg/day | oral | - | IRIS chronic oral RfD system PoD | EPA_IRIS_iris_rfd_systems.csv |
| NOAEL | =1.9 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Mouse | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
3
Volume
52
Evaluation Year
1990
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
SUBSTANCE; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (5)
Carcinogen Classification
Sodium chlorite | Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | Volume 52: (1991) Chlorinated Drinking-water; Chlorination By-products; Some Other Halogenated Compounds; Cobalt and Cobalt Compounds
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE CHARACTERIZATION: Under the current guidelines (USEPA,1986), chlorite is classified as Group D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity because of inadequate data in humans and animals. Under the draft Carcinogen Assessment Guidelines (USEPA, 1996), the human carcinogenicity of chlorite cannot be determined because of a lack of human data and limitations in animal studies.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
ICSC Safety Card
1045
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
... (Soln) Strong irritant to skin & tissue. | Irritating to skin, eyes, and respiratory system.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
SODIUM CHLORITE | 2007
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Oxidizing agent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium Chlorite.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Sodium Chlorite by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
14
Lowest NOAEL
0.77
Highest NOAEL
10
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
EPA_IRIS_iris_rfd_systems.csv
Known Synonyms
Chlorous acid, sodium salt
Caswell No. 755
EINECS 231-836-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 020502
Textile
Chlorite sodium
UNII-G538EBV4VF
NaClO2
NaO2Cl
Chemical Function
Oxidizing agent
Biocide
Regulatory Lists
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
Europe; Specialty occupational products
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; 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
CHEMBL1887585
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Chlorite allowed in the EU?
Sodium Chlorite EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Chlorite do in cosmetics?
Sodium Chlorite functions as: Oxidizing agent, antimicrobial, oral care agent (tooth whitening). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7758-19-2.
What is the NOAEL for Sodium Chlorite?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Sodium Chlorite is 0.77 mg/kg bw/day based on a Special Toxicology Study study via oral route in rat. A total of 8 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Sodium Chlorite used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Chlorite 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 Sodium Chlorite have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sodium Chlorite is classified GHS Danger (H271, H272, H301, H310, H314, H318, H373, H400) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Sodium Chlorite 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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