Amended Safety Assessment of Salicylic Acid and Salicylates as Used in Cosmetics

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of Salicylic Acid and 17 salicylates; 15 of these ingredients were previously reviewed by the Panel, and 3 are reviewed herein for the first time. Some of the reported functions in cosmetics for ingredients in this group are hair and skin conditioning agents, and, less frequently, preservatives and fragrance ingredients. Upon review of relevant new data, including frequency and concentration of use, and consideration of data from the previous CIR report, the Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing, which may be based on a quantitative risk assessment (QRA).