Is Zinc Chloride safe in cosmetics?
Zinc Chloride has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Zinc Chloride
Also known as: ZnCl2, Zinc Chloride (ZnC!,), Zinc chloride (ZnCl2), Caswell No. 910, EINECS 231-592-0 (+8 more)
INCI: ZINC CHLORIDE
Zinc Chloride (CAS 7646-85-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Oral care agent, cosmetic biocide, skin conditioning agent, deodorant agent. NOAEL 0.04 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 1%; 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 7646-85-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Zinc Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H314, H318, H335, H400, H410, H370, H332) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 1%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Oral care agent, cosmetic biocide, skin conditioning agent, deodorant agent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
dichlorozinc
InChIKey
JIAARYAFYJHUJI-UHFFFAOYSA-L
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
1%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR Panel concluded safe when formulated to be non-irritating; also recognized as OTC oral care ingredient by FDA
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Zinc Chloride.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Zinc Chloride. 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 | 25 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 125 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Multigeneration Reproductive | COSMOS_DB |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
CorrExcl markWarnEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is corrosive to the eyes and skin. The aerosol is severely irritating to the respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. Inhalation may cause lung oedema. Inhalation of high concentrations of respirable particles (such as fumes) may cause Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary fibrosis and death. See Notes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Zinc Chloride across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Harmful / IrritantCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *; Skin Corr. 1B; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
STOT SE 3; H335: C ≥ 5.0%
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 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Additional Ingredient Properties
3 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "7646-85-7", "anti_acne_mechanism": "antibacterial", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "1", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "p_acnes_mic_ug_per_ml": "100-500", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "10-15", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "No limit", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne…
deodorant
{"cas_number": "7646-85-7", "ingredient_class": "astringent", "mechanism_of_action": "bacterial_growth_inhibition", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "8-12", "odor_reduction_pct": "35-55", "bacteriostatic": "yes", "bactericidal": "limited", "target_bacteria": "limited", "microbiome_impact": "selective", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies by ingredie…
mineral_clay
{"cas_number": "7646-85-7", "ingredient_class": "zinc_compound", "chemical_formula": "ZnCl2", "mineral_origin": "synthetic", "particle_size_range_um": "10-500", "surface_area_m2_per_g": "0.5-3", "crystal_structure": "hexagonal", "color_appearance": "white", "opacity": "opaque", "refractive_index": "2.09", "oil_absorption_g_per_100g": "100-300", "water_absorption_capacity": "low", "surface_charge_a…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (5)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
CLASSIFICATION: D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: Based on inadequate evidence in humans and animals. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Inadequate. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Inadequate. /Zinc and compounds/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
ICSC Safety Card
1064
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
... Corrosivity and irritation to the lungs. | ... Can irritate the eyes. | Zinc chloride causes burns ... Data on skin sensitization are not available for zinc chloride. However, based on the accepted derogation and the fact that zinc sulphate is not a skin sensitizer, it is consequently concluded that zinc chloride is not likely to be skin sensitizing. | Skin exposure /causes/ skin burns, pain,
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Astringent
Biocide
Corrosion inhibitor
Dehydrating agent (desiccant)
Flavouring and nutrient
Humectant
Pharmaceutical
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Zinc Chloride.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Zinc Chloride by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
47
Lowest NOAEL
5 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
400 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
ZnCl2
Zinc Chloride (ZnC!,)
Zinc chloride (ZnCl2)
Caswell No. 910
EINECS 231-592-0
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 087801
Zine dichloride
Zintrace
Zinc chloride in plastic container
Zinkchloride
UNII-86Q357L16B
dichlorozinc
zinc chloride, anhydrous
Chemical Function
Corrosion inhibitor
Dehydrating agent (desiccant)
Pharmaceutical
Regulatory Lists
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
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; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Europe; supplements
Europe; food_additive; supplements
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
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
ZINC CHLORIDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1200679
Max Phase
4
Adverse Event Associations
174
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zinc Chloride allowed in the EU?
Zinc Chloride EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 1%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Zinc Chloride do in cosmetics?
Zinc Chloride functions as: Oral care agent, cosmetic biocide, skin conditioning agent, deodorant agent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 7646-85-7.
What is the NOAEL for Zinc Chloride?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Zinc Chloride is 25 mg/kg bw/day based on a Short Term Toxicity study via oral route in rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Zinc Chloride classified as hazardous under GHS?
Zinc Chloride carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed Causes severe skin burns and eye damage May cause respiratory irritation Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. 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 Zinc Chloride used outside cosmetics?
Zinc Chloride 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 Zinc Chloride have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Zinc Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H314, H318, H335, H400, H410, H370, H332) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 1%.
Compliance Tools
Check Zinc Chloride 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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