Is Sodium Hypochlorite safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Hypochlorite has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Sodium Hypochlorite
Also known as: Caswell No. 776, Chlorox, Cloropool, Clorox liquid bleach, Deosan Green Label Steriliser (+14 more)
INCI: SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
Sodium Hypochlorite (CAS 7681-52-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Bleaching; Oxidizing; Antimicrobial (primarily industrial/household biocide). NOAEL 13.75 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 7681-52-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sodium Hypochlorite is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H290, H314, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410, H411).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Bleaching; Oxidizing; Antimicrobial (primarily industrial/household biocide)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium hypochlorite
InChIKey
SUKJFIGYRHOWBL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not intended for cosmetic use; regulated as antimicrobial/biocide; FDA has not approved for topical cosmetic application. Note: hypochlorous acid (HOCl) products exist in dermatology but sodium hypochlorite ≠ HOCl
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 Hypochlorite.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
CorrEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
May be osive to metals Causes skin and eye irritation Very toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes, skin, respiratory tract and digestive tract. See Notes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Sodium Hypochlorite across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
2 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOEL | =30 mM | Rat | oral | chronic | ECOTOX |
| LD50 | =5800 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
CorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Skin Corr. 1B; Eye Dam. 1; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
M = 10; M = 1; EUH031: C ≥ 5.0%
Inserted via ATP: ATP13
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000,000 - 10,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
GROUP; SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (5)
Carcinogen Classification
3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of hypochlorite salts in experimental animals. No data were available from studies in humans on the carcinogenicity of hypochlorite salts. Overall evaluation: Hypochlorite salts are not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). /Hypochlorite salts/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0482
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
ICSC Safety Card
1119
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
It has a pronounced irritant effect on the skin. | Irritating to skin and eyes. /Monohydrate/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-scaling agent
Biocide
Bleaching agent
Brightener
Cleaning agent
Filler
Food preservative
Oxidizing agent
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium Hypochlorite.
Regulatory Flags
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Sodium Hypochlorite by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
6
Lowest NOAEL
50 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
57.2 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Caswell No. 776
Chlorox
Cloropool
Clorox liquid bleach
Deosan Green Label Steriliser
EINECS 231-668-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 014703
Hospital Milton
Household bleach
Hyposan and Voxsan
Milton Crystals
Surchlor
Di-Dak-Sol
UNII-DY38VHM5OD
Dakins quarter
Dakins half
Hypochlorite sodium
NaClO
NaOCl
Chemical Function
Bleaching agent
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Oxidizing agent
Regulatory Lists
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
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
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.
Compound
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1334078
Max Phase
3
Adverse Event Associations
6
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Hypochlorite allowed in the EU?
Sodium Hypochlorite EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Hypochlorite do in cosmetics?
Sodium Hypochlorite functions as: Bleaching; Oxidizing; Antimicrobial (primarily industrial/household biocide). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7681-52-9.
Is Sodium Hypochlorite classified as hazardous under GHS?
Sodium Hypochlorite carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: May be osive to metals Causes skin and eye irritation Very toxic 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 Sodium Hypochlorite used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Hypochlorite 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 Hypochlorite have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sodium Hypochlorite is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H290, H314, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410, H411).
Compliance Tools
Check Sodium Hypochlorite 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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