TETRASODIUM EDTA

Name / description

Tetrasodium EDTA; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid, Tetrasodium Salt

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Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

CHELATING

Binds metal ions which could negatively affect the stability and / or appearance of cosmetics

FRAGRANCE FUNCTIONAL

Functional ingredient (excipient) of perfume oils and / or flavours

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Origin

synthetic

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Background information on use in cosmetics

Fragrances or mixtures of fragrances are often referred to in the cosmetics area as "perfuming agents" or "perfume oils" or "parfum oils". On the cosmetic products they are declared with the INCI name "PARFUM". These are undiluted individual substances or their mixtures which originate from natural raw materials or can be produced (semi-) synthetically. They are starting materials for the production of perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne and other perfumed cosmetic products. The average content of fragrances amounts in perfume to 15-30 %, in eau de parfum to 10-14 %, in eau de toilette to 6-9 %, in eau de cologne to 3-5 % as well as in skin creams, shampoos, hair and deodorant sprays to approximately 0.2-1 % and approximately 1-3 in deodorant sticks. The perfume oils include essential oils, resinoids and absolutes. The sources are, amongst others, flowers, leaves and stems, fruits and fruit peels or roots of plants; woods, grasses or herbs, needles, resins and balsams. Moreover, only compounds isolated from natural products such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols etc. are used (geraniol, citronellal, citral, eugenol, menthol) as well as semi-synthetic (citronellol, geranyl acetate, jonone) and synthetic scents (eg phenylethyl alcohol and linalool) are used. Scents of animal origin such as musk and ambra are only rarely used.

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Why are we talking about it?

EDTA is suspected of being an eye irritant and is considered an environmental pollutant because it is poorly biodegradable and has the potential to absorb and remobilise heavy metals. The facts: EDTA is insignificantly absorbed through the skin, hardly metabolised and rapidly eliminated (1). The safety margin for the use of EDTA in cosmetics is thus 300,000 times higher than the required minimum safety margin (2). EDTA and its salts are irritating at high concentration levels, but they are only used at very low concentrations (< 0.5 %) in cosmetic products. These concentrations are clearly below the irritation threshold. Furthermore, the skin and eye compatibility of cosmetic products is being evaluated before it is placed on the market. EDTA is not considered a persistent, bioaccumulative or toxic pollutant. However, it is poorly biodegradable (3). The European Commission considers that the risk linked to heavy metals only exists under particular circumstances, due to the trapping of EDTA/heavy metal complexes in sediments. Key points to take away: Due to the low concentrations used in cosmetic products, the use of EDTA and its salts is considered to be safe for human health. Beyond its safe use in cosmetics, the ecological characteristics of EDTA and its salts justify that these substances be carefully monitored for their environmental behavior. Sources: (1) Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), 2019: https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/EDTA.pdf (2) Cosmetic Products Regulation EC No 1223/2009; Annex III (3) French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks Risks (INERIS), 2011: https://substances.ineris.fr/fr/substance/getDocument/3042

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Belongs to the following substance groups

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Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.