Is Sucrose Polystearate safe in cosmetics?
Sucrose Polystearate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Emulsifier
Sucrose Polystearate
INCI: SUCROSE POLYSTEARATE
Sucrose Polystearate (CAS 37318-31-3) is a cosmetic emulsifier functioning as W/O emulsifier (low HLB), skin conditioning, surfactant. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 37318-31-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
W/O emulsifier (low HLB), skin conditioning, surfactant
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3S,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol;octadecanoic acid
InChIKey
ONAIRGOTKJCYEY-XXDXYRHBSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR safe as used (2017, saccharide esters group of 40 ingredients). FDA food additive 21 CFR 172.859.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sucrose Polystearate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
emulsifier
{"cas_number": "68937-93-9", "ingredient_class": "W/O_emulsifier", "chemical_type": "sucrose_ester", "HLB_value": "5", "HLB_required_for_oil_phase": "4-6", "emulsion_type_primary": "W/O", "droplet_size_typical_um": "2-8", "surface_tension_reduction_mN_m": "25", "interfacial_tension_reduction": "29", "foam_formation": "low", "foam_stability": "low", "liquid_crystal_formation": "low", "lamellar_phas…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Emulsifier
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sucrose Polystearate.
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Softener and conditioner
Emulsifier
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed_with_terms
Specific information requirements: Obligations to provide information apply. You must tell us within 28 days if the circumstances of your importation or manufacture (introduction) are different to those in our assessment.
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in food safety data.
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Sucrose esters of fatty acids
E Number
E473
ADI
40 mg/kg bw
Food Category
emulsifier
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sucrose Polystearate allowed in the EU?
Sucrose Polystearate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sucrose Polystearate do in cosmetics?
Sucrose Polystearate functions as: W/O emulsifier (low HLB), skin conditioning, surfactant. It is classified as a Emulsifier in our database. CAS number: 37318-31-3.
Is Sucrose Polystearate used outside cosmetics?
Sucrose Polystearate also appears in industrial chemical safety and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Sucrose Polystearate 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
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