Is Vanillic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Vanillic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
Vanillic Acid
Also known as: BRN 2208364, EINECS 204-466-8, VA (VAN), UNII-GM8Q3JM2Y8, 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxybenzoate (+11 more)
INCI: VANILLIC ACID
Vanillic Acid (CAS 121-34-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin conditioning. 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 121-34-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin conditioning
Safety Rating
GOOD
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — GRAS for food use; no specific FDA cosmetic restriction
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Vanillic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Intermediate
Tonnage Band
Intermediate use only
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
skin_suitability
{"oily_skin": "acceptable", "dry_skin": "acceptable", "sensitive_skin": "acceptable", "combination_skin": "acceptable", "normal_skin": "acceptable", "acne_prone": "acceptable", "rosacea": "acceptable", "eczema": "acceptable", "hyperpigmentation": "acceptable", "aging_mature": "acceptable", "dehydrated": "acceptable", "skin_benefit_primary": "antioxidant", "skin_benefit_secondary": "anti-inflammato…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Vanillic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
BRN 2208364
EINECS 204-466-8
VA (VAN)
UNII-GM8Q3JM2Y8
3-Methoxy-4-hydroxybenzoate
4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-Benzoate
4-Hydroxy-m-Anisate
4-Hydroxy-m-Anisic acid
4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzoic acid
Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-
Protocatechuic acid 3-methyl ester
Protocatechuic acid, 3-methyl ester
Vanillate
m-Anisic acid, 4-hydroxy-
p-Vanillate
p-Vanillic acid
Chemical Function
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
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
VANILLIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL120568
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
VANILLIC ACID
Food Category
flavoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vanillic Acid allowed in the EU?
Vanillic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Vanillic Acid do in cosmetics?
Vanillic Acid functions as: Antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 121-34-6.
Is Vanillic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Vanillic 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Vanillic Acid 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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