Is Sulfuric Acid safe in cosmetics?
Sulfuric Acid has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Sulfuric Acid
Also known as: Battery acid, Caswell No. 815, EINECS 231-639-5, Electrolyte acid, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 078001 (+12 more)
INCI: SULFURIC ACID
Sulfuric Acid (CAS 7664-93-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Buffering (pH adjustment). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted; 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 7664-93-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sulfuric Acid is classified GHS Danger (H314, H303, H318, H330, H370, H372, H290) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Buffering (pH adjustment)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sulfuric acid
InChIKey
QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted for cosmetic use as pH adjuster; no concentration limit specified but product safety required
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sulfuric Acid.
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
SkullToxicCorr
Hazard Statements
Fatal if inhaled Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation May be osive to metals See Notes
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is very corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. Exposure could cause asphyxiation due to swelling in the throat. Inhalation of high concentrations may cause lung oedema, but only after initial corrosive effects on the eyes and the upper respiratory tract have become manifest. Inhalation may cause asthma-like reactions (RADS). Medical observation is indicated. See Notes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis. Repeated or prolonged inhalation may cause effects on the lungs. Risk of tooth erosion upon repeated or prolongated exposure to an aerosol of this substance. Mists of this strong inorganic acid are carcinogenic to humans. See Notes.
Routes of Exposure
Serious local effects by all routes of exposure. The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OEL | =0.05 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | EU SCOEL |
| NOAEL | =0.45 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | acute | Cal OEHHA REL derivations |
| NOAEL | =0.45 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | acute | Cal OEHHA REL derivations |
| LOAEL | =0.38 mg/m3 | Monkey | inhalation | chronic | Cal OEHHA REL derivations |
| LC50 | =50 mg/m3 | Guinea Pig | inhalation | acute | NIOSH IDLH |
| LEL | =5 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | acute | NIOSH IDLH |
| LC50 | =50 mg/m3 | Guinea Pig | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LC50 | =18 mg/m3 | Guinea Pig | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LC50 | =0.018 mg/L | Guinea Pig | inhalation | - | ChemIDplus |
| LC50 | =0.16 mg/L | Mouse | inhalation | - | ChemIDplus |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Corrosive
Hazard Class and Category
Skin Corr. 1A
Hazard Statements
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
Skin Corr. 1A; H314: C ≥ 15.0%; Skin Irrit. 2; H315: 5.0% ≤ C < 15.0%; Eye Irrit. 2; H319: 5.0% ≤ C < 15.0%
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000,000 - 100,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
Occupational exposures to strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid are carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Evaluation: There is sufficient evidence that occupational exposure to strong-inorganic-acid mists containing sulfuric acid is carcinogenic. Overall evaluation: Occupational exposure to strong-inorganic-acid mists is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). | A2; Suspected human carcinogen. /Classification refers to sulfuric acid contained in strong inorganic acid mists.)/ | Strong inorganic acid mists c
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0362
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Corrosive. Causes severe eye and skin burns. | 10 human subjects were exposed to low concentration of sulfuric acid aerosol to determine the subjective threshold for irritation and other low level effects. The mean minimum concentration was 0.72 mg/cu m (range, 0.6 to 0.85 mg/cu m) to which the 10 subjects, averaging 33 tests per subject, detected minimal effects of throat tickling and scratching.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Evaluation
SULFURIC ACID | 1976
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
EU Food Improvement
Food additives
Source: EU Food Improvement Agents
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Cleaning agent
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Processing aids not otherwise specified
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sulfuric Acid.
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Battery acid
Caswell No. 815
EINECS 231-639-5
Electrolyte acid
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 078001
Mattling acid
Oil of vitreol
Schwefelsaeure
Acido solforico
Zwavelzuuroplossingen
UNII-O40UQP6WCF
Sulphuricum acidum
Acidum sulfuricum
H2SO4
Schwefelsaeureloesungen
[S(OH)2O2]
[SO2(OH)2]
Chemical Function
pH regulating agent
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
pharmaceutical
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
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; 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 and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
SULFURIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL572964
Max Phase
-1
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Sulfuric acid
E Number
E513
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sulfuric Acid allowed in the EU?
Sulfuric Acid EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sulfuric Acid do in cosmetics?
Sulfuric Acid functions as: Buffering (pH adjustment). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7664-93-9.
Is Sulfuric Acid classified as hazardous under GHS?
Sulfuric Acid carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Fatal if inhaled Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation May be osive to metals See Notes. 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 Sulfuric Acid used outside cosmetics?
Sulfuric Acid also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Sulfuric Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sulfuric Acid is classified GHS Danger (H314, H303, H318, H330, H370, H372, H290) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Sulfuric Acid 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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