AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE (ammonia solution)
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 1791
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE (ammonia solution): Allowed with restrictions, maximum 6% in the ready-for-use preparation (as NH3) (Annex III, entry 4), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Good to know: hazardous to the aquatic environment. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 23 October 2026.
Who it concerns
What official classifications and rules say for each group. A classification describes the hazard of the pure substance, not the risk of a product that contains it, which depends on the dose and the exposure.
Prohibition or serious classificationThe text prohibits the substance for this use, or ranks it among the most serious hazards (known or presumed carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic, identified endocrine disruptor).Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No classification harmonised by the European Union covers reproduction, the unborn child or breastfeeding for this substance. This does not mean it has been judged to have no effect during pregnancy.
Babies and children
The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.
Skin, eyes and allergies
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
For information Classified under the CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: skin corrosion, category 1B (Skin Corr. 1B). This classification describes the pure substance; in a finished product it is far more diluted.
Environment
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watching Classified under the CLP Regulation: hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1).
Read on the label
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
For information Annex III, entry 4, requires this to be printed on the pack: “Above 2%: Contains ammonia”.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Buffering: stabilises the pH of cosmetics.
Denaturant: renders cosmetics unpalatable. Mostly added to cosmetics containing ethyl alcohol.
Functions declared in the CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Definitions of functions (decision repealed on 8 May 2020, cited for information). Decision 2006/257/EC, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (definitions of functions), retrieved 22 October 2026.
What the rules say
Allowed, with restrictions: Annex III sets a maximum concentration and a warning to be printed on the packaging. Ingredient lists do not give quantities, so the concentration cannot be checked on the label; the warning can.
CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Origin and odour
No natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database); this does not prove that the ingredient is synthetic.
Basis: one CosIng CAS, with no natural occurrence recorded in this database.
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Other names: ammoniaque (French), ammonia solution (English), Ammoniumhydroxid (German), hidróxido de amonio (Spanish), idrossido d'ammonio (Italian), hidróxido de amônio (Portuguese).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Present in 0.5% of recorded cosmetics (94 out of 20 527), mainly: hair dyes, shampoos.
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
The text of the annexes
Allowed with restrictions
This entry covers the same substance as AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE (same CAS number in the CosIng inventory): its conditions apply.
- Maximum concentration
- 6% (as NH3)
- Warning to print
- Above 2%: Contains ammonia
- Entry
- Annex III, No 4
- Substance
- Ammonia
- Glossary names
- AMMONIA
- CAS
- 7664-41-7 / 1336-21-6
- EC
- 231-635-3 / 215-647-6
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III, entry 4. CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, adopted on 30 November 2009.
What has changed, and what will change
Dates of the texts that cover this ingredient. A text date may cover several substances: the details of each entry are below.
Annex III, entry 4: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex III, entry 4: applies from this date
CLP classification “Skin Corr. 1B” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 31870
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 1336-21-6
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 215-647-6
- Declared functions
- Buffering, Denaturant
- Wikidata
- Q421888
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.014.225
- InChIKey
- VHUUQVKOLVNVRT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Wikidata, items with a CosIng identifier (P3073), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Wikidata, PubChem and ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency. links are published only when verified: same CosIng identifier, a single item, matching CAS number.
Classified hazard (CLP Regulation)
The harmonised classification is the one set by the European Union for the whole Union. H codes refer to the hazard statements of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
ammonia ….%
Neither carcinogenic, mutagenic nor toxic for reproduction under the harmonised classification
- Hazard classes
- Skin corrosion, category 1B (Skin Corr. 1B)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1) - Hazard statements
- H314 H400
- CLP notes
- B
Annex VI, entry 007-001-01-2, linked by CAS 1336-21-6. Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Entry introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2018/669, applicable at the latest from 1 December 2019.
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions, with no effect on sale in France. What is covered, and what is not yet.
Comparison between countries
Most restrictive status in each country, and the maximum concentration cited. The details and the source of each rule follow.
| Country | Rule | Maximum concentration cited |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Allowed with restrictions | 6% |
| United Kingdom | Allowed with restrictions | 6% |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 6% |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Canada | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Restricted | 6% |
| China | Not on the prohibited lists recorded (lists of allowed substances are not recorded) | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| ASEAN | Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration) | 6% |
| Taiwan | Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration) | 6% |
| Brazil | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
Same entries as in the European Union. Their maximum concentrations are compared in the “Comparison between countries” table; other conditions (product types, warnings) may differ.
Annexes II to VI in force. United Kingdom, Annexes II to VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as retained and amended, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Northern Ireland applies EU law.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
Switzerland, FDHA Ordinance on Cosmetic Products (OCos, SR 817.023.31), consolidated version, retrieved 22 October 2026.
United States, federal rules
None of the integrated sections of the federal code (21 CFR 700.11 to 700.27 and 250.250) targets this name. The FDA does not publish a list of allowed ingredients.
United States, 21 CFR part 700 and section 250.250 (FDA rules on cosmetic ingredients), eCFR, retrieved 21 October 2026.
The eCFR is not an official legal edition of the Code of Federal Regulations.
South Korea
- Restricted: 암모니아 (AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE)
별표 2, 기타 (other substances with limits), entry 53, page 39. Limit: 6%.
South Korea, MFDS Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics, Notification 2026-19, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 식품의약품안전처 (MFDS), 화장품 안전기준 등에 관한 규정, via law.go.kr; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
ASEAN (South-East Asia)
- Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration): Ammonia
Annex III (restricted substances), entry 4, page 105. Limit: 6% calculated as NH3.
Conditions, source text
Conditions of use and warning which must be printed on the labels: Above 2%: Contains Ammonia
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, Annexes II, III, IV, VI and VII (version 2026-1 of 22 June 2026, Annex VII 2025-2), retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: ASEAN Cosmetic Documents, Annexes of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, as published by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA, Singapore); table extracted and formatted by the publisher of this site, with no endorsement by HSA or ASEAN.
Taiwan
- Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration): Ammonia
化粧品成分使用限制表 (restricted substances). Limit: 6% (以NH3計).
Conditions, source text, in Chinese
INCI：Ammonia ; Ammonium hydroxide
Taiwan, TFDA cosmetic ingredient tables (prohibited, restricted, preservatives, UV filters, colorants), open data, retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), open datasets on data.gov.tw (Open Government Data License, version 1.0); table formatted by the publisher of this site.
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
94 recorded products list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (in French).
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.