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Alpha-Arbutin

Controversial0 products
CAS
84380-01-8
EC
617-561-8
PubChem CID
158637
Molecular Formula
C12H16O7
Molecular Weight
272.2500 g/mol

Skin spot lightener. Excessive dosages may lead to allergy and irritation. EU limit is 2% in creams and 0.5% in wet wipes.

What does it do?

Used to lighten the appearance of dark spots on the skin.

Details

A compound derived from the bearberry plant, used to lighten skin spots. It suppresses melanin production by converting to hydroquinone in the skin. Overuse may cause irritation and allergy. The EU limits it to 2% in face creams and 0.5% in body lotions.

Hazards

None Specified

Benefits

Brightening

Functions

Active Ingredient

Restrictions

None Specified

Where is it found?

Brightening serum
Face cream
Body lotion

Also known as

4-Hydroxyphenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside

Function & Use

Skin Conditioning

Antioxidant

Bleaching

Usage Restrictions

  • Use Condition

    Margin of Safety — MoS is 14700 (raw: 14700)

  • Maximum Concentration - 2%

    SCCS maximum concentration; safe: up to 2% (SCCS/1642/22)

  • Use Condition - 6.17µg/kg bw/day

    SED of 6.17 μg/kg bw/day

Regulatory note

  • EU 1223/2009 Annex IIIRestricted

Industry GHS notices (PubChem)

These are industry self-reports to ECHA, not our regulatory assessment.

  • H302(100.0%)- Harmful if swallowed
PubChem CID 158637 →
The verdict isn’t ours: below is what SCCS (EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) said, verbatim.

What The Sources Say

SCCS (EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety)7
Safety assessment

EU 1223/2009 Annex III — SCCS opinion: OPINION ON α-arbutin

Safety assessment

EU 1223/2009 Annex III — SCCS opinion: Opinion on the safety of alpha- (CAS No. 84380-018

Safety assessment

EU 1223/2009 Annex III — SCCS opinion: EC No. 617-561-8) and beta-arbutin (CAS No. 497-76-7

Safety assessment

EU 1223/2009 Annex III — SCCS opinion: EC No. 207-8503) in cosmetic products

Safety assessment

EU 1223/2009 Annex III — SCCS opinion: preliminary version of 15-16 March 2022

+2 more records.

Scientific References

  • EC No. 207-8503) in cosmetic productsSCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • EC No. 617-561-8) and beta-arbutin (CAS No. 497-76-7SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DSSTox identifiers mapped to CAS (2021r1)US EPA, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure
  • EU CosIng — Cosmetic Ingredient Database full exportEuropean Commission, DG GROW
  • final version of 31 January 2023SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • OPINION ON α-arbutinSCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • Opinion on the safety of alpha- (CAS No. 84380-018SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • preliminary version of 15-16 March 2022SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
  • PubChem — CID-Synonym-filtered bulk + PUG REST propertiesNCBI / National Library of Medicine
  • SCCS Opinion SCCS/1642/22 — Safety of alpha-arbutin and beta-arbutin in cosmetic productsScientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)(2023)
  • SCCS/1642/22SCCS — Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety