Compoatlas

COBALT CHLORIDE

Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 7051

COBALT CHLORIDE: Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 453), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 21 October 2026.

Who it concerns

This ingredient is prohibited in cosmetics in the European Union: what follows describes its hazards, not a permitted use.

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.

  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding

    Classified under the CLP Regulation: reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B), a hazard to fertility or to the unborn child.

  • Babies and children

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

  • Skin, eyes and allergies

    Classified under the CLP Regulation: respiratory sensitisation, category 1 (Resp. Sens. 1); skin sensitisation, category 1 (Skin Sens. 1).

  • Environment

    Classified under the CLP Regulation: hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1); hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 1 (Aquatic Chronic 1).

In plain words

What the rules say

It is prohibited to use it in a cosmetic product sold in the European Union, whatever the dose. If it appears on the ingredient list of a recent product, this needs checking: the record may be old or wrong, or the product intended for another market.

Hazard and risk

The CLP Regulation classifies this substance as carcinogenic, category 1B (presumed effect, established mainly from animal studies), mutagenic (may damage DNA), category 2 (suspected effect, without enough evidence for a higher category) and toxic for reproduction, category 1B (presumed effect, established mainly from animal studies).

This classification describes what the substance can cause (a hazard), not what happens when using a product (a risk): the risk depends on the dose, the form and the route of exposure (skin, inhalation, ingestion).

Already prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II).

The text of the annexes

Prohibited in cosmetics

CosIng links the name COBALT CHLORIDE to this Annex II entry.

Entry
Annex II, No 453
Substance
Cobalt dichloride
CAS
7646-79-9
EC
231-589-4
Dates in the act (10)
  • Entry into force on 11 January 2010
  • Application from 1 December 2010
    It shall apply from 11 July 2013, with the exception of: — Article 15(1) and (2) which shall apply from 1 December 2010, as well as Articles 14, 31 and 32 to the extent that they are necessary to apply Article 15(1) and (2); and — Article 16(3) second subparagraph, which shall apply from 11 January 2013.
  • Entry into force on 1 December 2010
  • Condition applicable from 11 January 2012
    As from 11 January 2012, by way of derogation from Directive 76/768/EEC, notification carried out in accordance with Article 13 of this Regulation shall be considered to comply with Article 7(3) and Article 7a(4) of that Directive
  • Application from 11 January 2013
    July 2013, with the exception of: — Article 15(1) and (2) which shall apply from 1 December 2010, as well as Articles 14, 31 and 32 to the extent that they are necessary to apply Article 15(1) and (2); and — Article 16(3) second subparagraph, which shall apply from 11 January 2013.
  • Entry into force on 11 January 2013
  • Application from 11 July 2013
    It shall apply from 11 July 2013, with the exception of: — Article 15(1) and (2) which shall apply from 1 December 2010, as well as Articles 14, 31 and 32 to the extent that they are necessary to apply Article 15(1) and (2); and — Article 16(3) second subparagraph, which shall appl
  • Entry into force on 11 July 2013
  • Placing on the market before 11 July 2013
    Article 39 Transitional provisions By way of derogation from Directive 76/768/EEC, cosmetic products which comply with this Regulation may be placed on the market before 11 July 2013.
  • Placing on the market from 11 July 2013
    As from 11 July 2013, a distributor who makes available in a Member State a cosmetic product already placed on the market in another Member State and translates, on his own initiative, any element of the labelling of that product in order to comply with national law, shall submit, by electronic means, the following info

Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.

Identity

CosIng identifier
84993
CAS (according to CosIng)
7646-79-9
EC (according to CosIng)
231-589-4

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.

cobalt dichloride

Carcinogenicity, category 1B (Carc. 1B); Germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 (Muta. 2); Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)

Hazard classes
Carcinogenicity, category 1B (Carc. 1B)
Germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 (Muta. 2)
Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)
Acute toxicity, category 4 (Acute Tox. 4)
Respiratory sensitisation, category 1 (Resp. Sens. 1)
Skin sensitisation, category 1 (Skin Sens. 1)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 1 (Aquatic Chronic 1)
Hazard statements
H350i H341 H360F*** H302 H334 H317 H400 H410
CLP notes
1

Elsewhere in the world

Information on other jurisdictions, with no effect on sale in France. What is covered, and what is not yet.

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

  • Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)

Same entries as in the European Union. Conditions (concentrations, warnings) may differ: they are not compared here.

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.

South Korea

  • Prohibited: 코발트디클로라이드(코발트클로라이드) (COBALT CHLORIDE)

    별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 713, page 37.

China

  • Prohibited: 二氯化钴 (Cobalt dichloride （CAS No. 7646-79-9）)

    表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 422, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 422 ; TID reprint p.17.

Brazil

  • Prohibited: Dicloreto de cobalto

    RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances), entry 453, page 17.

    Conditions, source text, in Portuguese

    N° UE: 453

Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.