Triacetin
What Is It?
Triacetin, an oil, is the triester of Glycerol and Acetic Acid. In cosmetics and personal-care products, it is used in makeup as well as in nail polish and nail enamel removers.
Why Is It Used?
Triacetin helps cleanse the skin or prevent odor by destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. It is also a plasticizerMaterials that soften synthetic polymers by reducing brittleness and cracking. and commonly used carrier for flavors and fragrances.
Scientific Facts
Triacetin, or Glyceryl Triacetate, is a naturally occurring oil found in cod-liver oil, butterAny of various fatty oils remaining nearly solid at room temperature. and other fats. Triacetin can also be synthesized for use in cosmetic products, as well as in foods and coatings of pharmaceutical capsules and tablets.
Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed the safety of Triacetin and determined that it was Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) for use as a direct food substance. The safety of Triacetin has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel reviewed the scientific data and concluded that Triacetin was safe as used in cosmetic formulations.
CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel considered the FDA’s affirmation of glycerides, including Triacetin, as a GRAS human food ingredient as support of the overall safety of this ingredient for cosmetic use. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that the use of Triacetin in cosmetics does not present a risk of reproductive or developmental toxicity because Triacetin is hydrolyzed to glycerol and acetic acid, and these chemicals are not developmental toxins. The CIR Expert Panel also noted reports indicating that 1,2-Glyceryl diesters can affect cellThe basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; cells may exist as independent units of life or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals. growth and proliferation.
Although Triacetin is a Glyceryl triester, there would be some small amounts of Glyceryl diesters present, some of which could be 1,2-Glyceryl diesters. The CIR Expert Panel concluded, however, that the effects of 1,2-Glyceryl diesters require esterAn organic compound formed by the reaction of an acid with an alcohol. chains longer than two carbon atoms on the Glycerin backbone. Thus, any Glyceryl 1,2-Diacetyl esters present in Triacetin would be not increase cell growth.
FDA: Link to the Code of Federal Regulations for Triacetin
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…
Triacetin may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions.. Ingredients of animal origin must comply with European Union animal by-products regulations.
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has not specified an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for Triacetin. Total daily intake of Triacetin does not, in the opinion of the Committee, represent a hazard to health, and the establishment of an ADI in mg/kg bw is not deemed necessary.
More Scientific Information
Triacetin is the triester of Glycerin and Acetic Acid and is used as a cosmetic biocideIngredients that help to cleanse the skin or to prevent odor by destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms., plasticizer and solventSubstances, usually liquids, that are used to dissolve other substances. in cosmetic formulations. Plasticizers are materials which soften synthetic polymers. They are frequently required to avoid brittleness and cracking of film formers.
Water, sometimes in combination with hygroscopic materials, is the common plasticizer for natural polymers and proteins. A variety of organic substances, such as esters, have been found useful for plasticizing synthetic polymers.
Resources
Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration
Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm
Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…
Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/