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Annex II Entry 1645 21/06/2021

Cobalt

Cobalt 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: 1645

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 7440-48-4
CAS 7440-48-4PubChem CID 104730

Cobalt

Cobalt is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals. Cobalt is used to produce alloys used in the manufacture of aircraft engines, magnets, grinding and cutting tools, artificial hip and knee joints. Cobalt compounds are also used to color glass, ceramics and paints, and used as a drier for porcelain enamel and paints. Radioactive cobalt is used for commercial and medical purposes.60Co (read as cobalt sixty) is used for sterilizing medical equipment and consumer products, radiation therapy for treating cancer patients, manufacturing plastics, and irradiating food.57Co is used in medical and scientific research. It takes about 5.27 years for half of60Co to give off its radiation and about 272 days for57Co; this is called the half-life. — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

IUPAC name
cobalt
Molecular formula
Co
Molecular weight
58.93319 g/mol
Exact mass
58.933194 Da
Topological polar surface area
0.0 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
0
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

Cobalt, elementalCobalt-59AquacatSuper cobaltCHEBI:27638NCI-C60311C.I. 77320COBALTUM METALLICUM
16 more reported names
3G0H8C9362CI 77320Cobalt metal dustCobalt metal fumeCobalt 59Dietary CobaltRefChem:54865lambda2-cobalt(2+) ion231-158-0CoCobalt(2+) ionCobalt(II)cobalt atomKobaltCobalt moncationCobalt, ion (Co1+)
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

Cobalt

Chemical / IUPAC name

Cobalt

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EU) 2021/850

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Key data

CAS
7440-48-4
EC
231-158-0
Annex
II
Entry number
1645

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

What Annex II means for Cobalt

Cobalt 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. Cobalt 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 7440-48-4 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Cobalt 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 Cobalt

This page summarizes one Annex II record for Cobalt 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 Cobalt, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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