Is Triacetin safe in cosmetics?
Triacetin has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 4 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Triacetin
Also known as: 1,2,3-Propanetriol triacetate, Glyceryl triacetate, 4-02-00-00253, BRN 1792353, EINECS 203-051-9 (+14 more)
INCI: TRIACETIN
Triacetin (CAS 102-76-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Plasticizer, solvent, cosmetic biocide (antifungal via acetic acid release),. NOAEL 1000 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); 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 pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 102-76-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Plasticizer, solvent, cosmetic biocide (antifungal via acetic acid release), hair conditioning
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2,3-diacetyloxypropyl acetate
InChIKey
URAYPUMNDPQOKB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) as food additive; CIR Expert Panel concluded safe as used in cosmetics (2003)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Triacetin.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
4 study endpoints found for Triacetin. 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 | 1650 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Chronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 9500 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =8000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | subchronic | 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 mildly irritating to the skin.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Triacetin across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
2 human repeat insult patch tests aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 13500 | - | - |
| HMT | - | 0 | 13500 | - | - |
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
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
1203
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Eye irritant | A Duhring-chamber test was conducted on 20 healthy volunteers. The test substance was applied as 50% dilution for 24 hours. Result: only very mild skin reactions were observed. The substance has a good skin compatibility.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
920
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
TRIACETYL GLYCERINE | 2002 | NOT SPECIFIED (1975) | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 913-JECFA 59/112 | FAS 48-JECFA 57/333 (2001)
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
Biocide
Deodorizer
Film former
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Humectant
Pharmaceutical
Plasticizer
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (4)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Triacetin.
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Triacetin by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
10
Lowest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
10000 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
1,2,3-Propanetriol triacetate
Glyceryl triacetate
4-02-00-00253
BRN 1792353
EINECS 203-051-9
FEMA No. 2007
FEMA Number 2007
Kodaflex triacetin
Triacetinum
UNII-XHX3C3X673
1,2,3-Propanetriyl triacetate
1,2,3-triacetylglycerol
2-(Acetyloxy)-1-[(acetyloxy)methyl]ethyl acetate
E 1518
E-1518
E1518
Glycerol triacetate
Triacetyl glycerin
Triacetyl glycerine
Chemical Function
Solvent
Biocide
Film former
Plasticizer
Deodorizer
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
consumer_product
SCIL (9/2019)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
pharmaceutical
Europe; plastic_additive
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - home office - pens and markers; detected; Europe
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
TRIACETIN
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1489254
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
15
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Triacetin allowed in the EU?
Triacetin EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Triacetin do in cosmetics?
Triacetin functions as: Plasticizer, solvent, cosmetic biocide (antifungal via acetic acid release), hair conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 102-76-1.
What is the NOAEL for Triacetin?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Triacetin is 1650 mg/kg bw/day based on a Chronic study via oral route in rat. A total of 4 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Triacetin used outside cosmetics?
Triacetin 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Triacetin 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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