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Annex II Entry 10 15/10/2010

Trichloroacetic acid

Trichloroacetic acid is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

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Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 10

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 76-03-9
CAS 76-03-9PubChem CID 6421

Trichloroacetic Acid

Trichloroacetic acid is a monocarboxylic acid that is acetic acid in which all three methyl hydrogens are substituted by chlorine. It has a role as a metabolite, a carcinogenic agent and a mouse metabolite. It is a monocarboxylic acid and an organochlorine compound. It is functionally related to an acetic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a trichloroacetate. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
2,2,2-trichloroacetic acid
Molecular formula
C2HCl3O2
Molecular weight
163.38 g/mol
Exact mass
161.904212 Da
XLogP3
1.3
Topological polar surface area
37.3 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

Aceto-caustinAcetic acid, trichloro-Trichloroethanoic acidTrichloracetic acidKonestaTrichloressigsaeureTrichloroacetateAmchem grass killer
16 more reported names
Acido tricloroaceticoAcide trichloracetiqueTrichloorazijnzuurTecaneKyselina trichloroctovaTKhUTKhUKTrichloroacetic acid (IUPAC)Trichloromethanecarboxylic acidNSC-2152045V2JDO056XCHEBI:30956hydron;2,2,2-trichloroacetateTrichloroaectic AcidSodium TCA solutionAcid, Trichloroacetic
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Chemical name

Trichloroacetic acid

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

See every entry this act set

Key data

CAS
76-03-9
EC
200-927-2
Annex
II
Entry number
10

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.

What Annex II means for Trichloroacetic acid

Trichloroacetic acid is listed as a prohibited substance under Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and must not be intentionally added. Article 17 separately addresses unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and compatible with the Article 3 safety requirement.

Formulators must screen their ingredients and raw materials to ensure none contain this substance. Suppliers should provide documentation confirming absence when requested.

The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Verify this substance is absent from all raw materials and finished formulations.
  • Request absence confirmation or CoA from raw material suppliers.
  • Document the screening result in the Product Information File (PIF).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Trichloroacetic acid is listed in Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and is prohibited as an intentionally added cosmetic ingredient. Article 17 provides a narrow exception for unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice, provided the product remains safe under Article 3.

CAS 76-03-9 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Trichloroacetic acid by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
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Source note for Annex II record Trichloroacetic acid

This page summarizes one Annex II record for Trichloroacetic acid from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex II conditions for Trichloroacetic acid, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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