SODIUM BORATE (disodium tetraborate)
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 26302
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
SODIUM BORATE (disodium tetraborate): Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1396), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Good to know: classified toxic for reproduction (category 1B). Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 23 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.
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
Prohibited in cosmetics in the European Union for everyone, whatever the age or situation: no specific condition is therefore needed for this group.
Skin, eyes and allergies
No harmonised 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.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Buffering: stabilises the pH of cosmetics.
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
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.
CosIng, Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (prohibited substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Hazard and risk
The CLP Regulation classifies this substance as 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).
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
The text of the annexes
Prohibited in cosmetics
CosIng links the name SODIUM BORATE to this Annex II entry.
- Entry
- Annex II, No 1396
- Substance
- Borates, tetraborates, octaborates and boric acid salts and esters, including: Disodium octaborate anhydrous [1] Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate [2] 2-Aminoethanol, monoester with boric acid [3] 2-Hydroxypropyl ammonium dihydrogen orthoborate [4] Potassium borate, boric acid potassium salt [5] Trioctyldodecyl borate [6] Zinc borate [7] Sodium borate, disodium tetraborate anhydrous; boric acid, sodium salt [8] Tetraboron disodium heptaoxide, hydrate [9] Orthoboric acid, sodium salt [10] Disodium tetraborate decahydrate; borax decahydrate [11] Disodium tetraborate pentahydrate; borax pentahydrate [12]
- CAS
- 12008-41-2 [1]/ 12280-03-4 [2]/ 10377-81-8 [3]/ 68003-13-4 [4]/ 12712-38-8 [5]/ -[6]/ 1332-07-6 [7]/ 1330-43-4 [8]/ 12267-73-1 [9]/ 13840-56-7 [10]/ 1303-96-4 [11]/ 12179-04-3 [12]
- EC
- 234-541-0 [1]/ 234-541-0 [2]/ 233-829-3 [3]/ 268-109-8 [4]/ 603-184-6 [5]/ -[6]/ 215-566-6 [7]/ 215-540-4 [8]/ 235-541-3 [9]/ 237-560-2 [10]/ 215-540-4 [11]/ 215-540-4 [12]
Dates in the act (2)
- Entry into force on 11 June 2019
- Application from 1 May 2020
Article 1 shall apply from 1 May 2020.
Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II, entry 1396. CosIng, Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (prohibited substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EU) 2019/1966, adopted on 27 November 2019.
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 II, entry 1396: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2019/1966
Annex II, entry 1396: applies from this date
CLP classification “Repr. 1B” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2023/1435)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 37742
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 1303-96-4, 1330-43-4
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 215-540-4
- Declared functions
- Buffering
- Wikidata
- Q27118021
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.014.129
CosIng cites 2 CAS numbers for this name: it covers several substances.
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 ECHA 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.
tetraboron disodium heptaoxide, hydrate; [1] disodium tetraborate, anhydrous; [2] orthoboric acid, sodium salt; [3] disodium tetraborate decahydrate; [4] disodium tetraborate pentahydrate [5]
Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)
- Hazard classes
- Reproductive toxicity, category 1B (Repr. 1B)
- Hazard statements
- H360FD
- CLP notes
- 11
Annex VI, entry 005-011-00-4, linked by CAS 1303-96-4. Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Entry introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/1435, applicable at the latest from 1 February 2025.
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 | Prohibited in cosmetics | not cited |
| United Kingdom | Prohibited in cosmetics | not cited |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | not cited |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Restricted differs from the EU | 0.76% |
| China | Prohibited | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Brazil | Prohibited | not cited |
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.
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: 보레이트류(소듐보레이트, 테트라보레이트) (SODIUM BORATE)
별표 2, 보존제 성분 (preservatives), entry 18, page 4-5. Limit: 밀납, 백납의 유화의 목적으로 사용 시 0.76% (이 경우,밀납․백납 배합량의 1/2을 초과할 수 없다).
Conditions, source text, in Korean
비고: 기타 목적에는 사용금지 | 화학물질명: 소듐보레이트 (CAS No. 1303-96-4) | 화학물질명: 소듐테트라보레이트 (CAS No. 1330-43-4)
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.
China
- Prohibited: 硼酸盐和四硼酸盐 (Borates and tetraborates （CAS No. 1330-43-4 / CAS No. 1303-96-4 / CAS No. 10377-81-8 / CAS No. 68003-13-4）)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 1267, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 1267 ; TID reprint p.47.
China, NMPA catalogues of prohibited cosmetic ingredients (2021 No. 74, revised up to 2026), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 国家药品监督管理局 (NMPA); plant catalogue as reprinted by the Trade and Industry Department of Hong Kong; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
Brazil
- Prohibited: Boratos, tetraboratos, octaboratos e sais e ésteres do ácido bórico, incluindo: Octaborato dissódico anidro (DISODIUM OCTABORATE ANHYDROUS) Octaborato dissódico tetra-hidratado (DISODIUM OCTABORATE TETRAHYDRATE) 2-Aminoetanol, monoéster com ácido bórico (MEA-BORATE) Di-hidrogenoortoborato de (2-hidroxipropil) amônio (MIPA-BORATE) Borato de potássio, sal de potássio do ácido bórico (POTASSIUM BORATE, BORIC ACID POTASSIUM SALT) Borato de trioctildodecila (TRIOCTYLDODECYL BORATE) Borato de zinco (ZINC BORATE) Borato de sódio, tetraborato de dissódio anidro; ácido bórico, sal de sódio (SODIUM BORATE, DISODIUM TETRABORATE ANHYDROUS; BORIC ACID, SODIUM SALT) Heptóxido de tetraboro e dissódio hidratado (TETRABORON DISODIUM HEPTAOXIDE, HYDRATE) Ácido ortobórico, sal de sódio (ORTHOBORIC ACID, SODIUM SALT) Tetraborato dissódico deca-hidratado; bórax deca-hidratado (DISODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE; BORAX DECAHYDRATE) Tetraborato dissódico penta-hidratado; bórax penta-hidratado (DISODIUM TETRABORATE PENTAHYDRATE; BORAX PENTAHYDRATE) Borato fenil mercúrico (PHENYL MERCURIC BORATE)
RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances): inclusões by RDC 1.030/2026, Art. 2º, entry 1407, page 1;2;3.
Conditions, source text, in Portuguese
Nº UE: 1396
Brazil, ANVISA resolutions RDC 529/2021, 528/2021, 600/2022 and 628/2022, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: ANVISA. Text of the adopted draft resolutions, as the Official Journal could not be accessed; the 2021 lists of prohibited substances and preservatives were compared with the copy of the published text distributed by the State of Paraná, the 2022 lists of UV filters and colorants were not.
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
8 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.