BORIC ACID (orthoboric acid)

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

  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).

  Prohibition or serious classification Classified under the CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B), a hazard to fertility and the unborn child.

  For a question about your own situation, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

• Babies and children

  The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.

• Skin, eyes and allergies

  No official classification for sensitisation, irritation or eye damage, and no obligation to label it as an allergen.

• Environment

  No harmonised classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment, and it is not on ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency.'s Candidate List as an endocrine disruptor for the environment.

• Read on the label

  The Cosmetics Regulation requires no warning to be printed for this ingredient.

Prohibited in cosmetics

CosIng links the name BORIC ACID to this Annex II entry.

Entry

Annex II, No 1395

Substance

Boric acid [1]; Boric acid [2]

CAS

10043-35-3 [1] 11113-50-1 [2]

EC

233-139-2 [1] 234-343-4 [2]

Identity

CosIng identifier

32208

CAS (according to CosIng)

10043-35-3, 11113-50-1

EC (according to CosIng)

233-139-2, 234-343-4

Declared functions

Antimicrobial, Buffering, Denaturant

Wikidata

Q187045

ECHA InfoCard

100.030.114

CosIng cites 2 CAS numbers for this name: it covers several substances.

boric acid; [1] boric acid [2]

Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)

Hazard classes

Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)

Hazard statements

H360FD

CLP notes

11

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

• Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)

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.

Switzerland

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).

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.

Japan

• Prohibited: ホウ酸 (Boric acid)

  Annex 1 (prohibited substances), entry 28, page 3.

South Korea

• Prohibited: 붕산 (BORIC ACID)

  별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 384, page 20.

China

• Prohibited: 硼酸 (Boric acid （CAS No. 10043-35-3 / CAS No. 11113-50-1）)

  表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 1268, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 1268 ; TID reprint p.47.

Australia

• Subject to conditions (threshold, labelling or packaging): BORIC ACID

  Poisons Standard, Schedule 5 (cosmetic entries), page 203. Thresholds cited: 1.5% (as boric acid) | 5% or less | 0.1% or less | 3% or less | 6% or less.

  Conditions, source text

  except: | (a) when included in Schedule 4; or | (b) in cosmetic hand cleaning preparations when labelled with a warning to the following effect: | NOT TO BE USED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE; and | if the concentration of free soluble borates exceeds 1.5% (as boric acid), with the words: | NOT TO BE USED ON PEELING OR IRRITATED SKIN; or | (c) in cosmetic talc preparations containing 5% or less calculated as boric acid when labelled with a warning to the following effect: | NOT TO BE USED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE; and | if the concentration of free soluble borates exceeds 1.5% (as boric acid), with the words: | NOT TO BE USED ON PEELING OR IRRITATED SKIN; or | (d) in cosmetic oral hygiene preparations containing 0.1% or less calculated as boric acid when labelled with a warning to the following effect: | NOT TO BE SWALLOWED. NOT TO BE USED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE; or | (e) in other cosmetic preparations containing 3% or less calculated as boric acid when labelled with a warning to the following effect: | NOT TO BE USED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE; and | if the concentration of free soluble borates exceeds 1.5% (as boric acid), with the words: | NOT TO BE USED ON PEELING OR IRRITATED SKIN; or | (f) in preparations, other than insect baits, containing 6% or less calculated as boric acid.

Brazil

• Prohibited: Ácido bórico (BORIC ACID) (BORIC ACID)

  RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances): inclusões by RDC 1.030/2026, Art. 2º, entry 1406, page 1.

  Conditions, source text, in Portuguese

  Nº UE: 1395

7 recorded products list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (in French).