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Annex V Entry 1 25/10/2010

BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE

Benzoic acid and its sodium salt

BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE appears in Annex V as a positive-list preservative entry for EU cosmetics. Maximum concentration in this record: a) 2.5% (acid) b) 1.7% (acid) c) 0.5% (acid).

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Permitted preservative— Annex V, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Max conc.: a) 2.5% (acid) b) 1.7% (acid) c) 0.5% (acid)
Entry: 1

Reading this entry

Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are permitted preservatives with three limits, and the lowest applies to the products they are most often found in — leave-on.

  • Rinse-off products except oral care: 2.5% as acid. Oral care: 1.7%. Leave-on: 0.5%.
  • The limits are expressed as acid, so sodium benzoate is converted rather than measured as the salt.
  • Annex V is a positive list, and these limits apply to preservative use.
  • Preservative efficacy depends on pH — the entry sets a ceiling and does not promise the substance will work below it.

The three tiers run in the order a formulator would expect — most permitted in something that washes off, least in something that stays on skin — and the 0.5% leave-on limit is the one that binds in practice, because leave-on is where these preservatives are most often reached for.

Both limits are expressed as acid. A formula using sodium benzoate converts to the acid equivalent for the purpose of the limit, which puts the permitted weight of the salt slightly above the stated figure rather than at it.

One thing the entry does not say is worth stating plainly, because the regulation is often read as though it did. A ceiling is not an assurance of efficacy. Benzoic acid works as a preservative only in its undissociated form, so its usefulness falls away as pH rises, and a product at pH 6 may be well inside this limit and still inadequately preserved. The entry governs how much may be used, not whether that amount will do the job.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 532-32-1
CAS 532-32-1PubChem CID 517055

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium benzoate is an organic sodium salt resulting from the replacement of the proton from the carboxy group of benzoic acid by a sodium ion. It has a role as an EC 1.13.11.33 (arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase) inhibitor, an EC 3.1.1.3 (triacylglycerol lipase) inhibitor, an antimicrobial food preservative, a plant metabolite, a human xenobiotic metabolite, an algal metabolite and a drug allergen. It contains a benzoate. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
sodium benzoate
Molecular formula
C7H5NaO2
Molecular weight
144.10 g/mol
Exact mass
144.01872368 Da
Topological polar surface area
40.1 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
2
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

SobenateAntimolBenzoic acid, sodium saltsodium;benzoateBenzoate sodiumBenzoate of sodaBenzoate, sodiumNatrium benzoicum
16 more reported names
FEMA No. 3025FuminaruBenzoan sodnyMicrocare sbPUROX SBenzoesaeure (na-salz)OJ245FE5EUEPA Pesticide Chemical Code 009103INS NO.211E211AI3-07835INS-211E-211CHEBI:113455Benzoic acid, sodium salt (1:1)208-534-8
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 65-85-0
CAS 65-85-0PubChem CID 243

Benzoic Acid

Benzoic acid is a compound comprising a benzene ring core carrying a carboxylic acid substituent. It has a role as an EC 1.13.11.33 (arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase) inhibitor, an EC 3.1.1.3 (triacylglycerol lipase) inhibitor, an antimicrobial food preservative, a plant metabolite, a human xenobiotic metabolite, an algal metabolite and a drug allergen. It is a conjugate acid of a benzoate. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
benzoic acid
Molecular formula
C7H6O2
Molecular weight
122.12 g/mol
Exact mass
122.036779430 Da
XLogP3
1.9
Topological polar surface area
37.3 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

Dracylic acidbenzenecarboxylic acidBenzeneformic acidCarboxybenzenephenylformic acidBenzenemethanoic acidPhenylcarboxylic acidRetardex
16 more reported names
Retarder BATenn-PlasSalvo liquidBenzoesaeure GKBenzoesaeure GVAcide benzoiqueSolvo powderBenzoic acid, tech.Unisept BZABenzoesaeureHA 1 (acid)Kyselina benzoovaFEMA No. 2131Benzenemethonic acidVevovitallAcido benzoico
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Maximum concentration

a) 2.5% (acid) b) 1.7% (acid) c) 0.5% (acid)

Product type

Rinse-off products, except oral care products Oral care products Leave-on products

INCI glossary name

BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE

Chemical name

Benzoic acid and its sodium salt

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

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SCCS opinions

Identified ingredients

Key data

CAS
65-85-0 / 532-32-1
EC
200-618-2 / 208-534-8
Annex
V
Entry number
1

Inventory links for BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE

Inventory Restriction reference
Ref 32134

BENZOIC ACID

CAS: 65-85-0
EC: 200-618-2
Inventory Restriction reference
Ref 37735

SODIUM BENZOATE

CAS: 532-32-1
EC: 208-534-8

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

Annex III 257
Shared product type

LAURETH-9

CAS: 3055-99-0
EC: 221-284-4

What Annex V means for BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE

BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE is an approved preservative listed in Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Only substances on this positive list may be used as cosmetic preservatives in the EU.

Each preservative entry specifies maximum permitted concentrations and applicable product scope. Concentrations must not exceed the listed maximum. Some preservatives require warning statements on the product label.

This record is linked to 2 CosIng inventory ingredients for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Use concentration must not exceed: a) 2.5% (acid) b) 1.7% (acid) c) 0.5% (acid)
  • Verify the preservative is effective at the permitted concentration for your matrix.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE is listed in Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 as a permitted preservative. It may be used in cosmetics up to the maximum concentration specified above, within the permitted product scope.

CAS 65-85-0 / 532-32-1 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE 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.

The maximum concentration of a) 2.5% (acid) b) 1.7% (acid) c) 0.5% (acid) applies to the concentration of the substance in the ready-to-use cosmetic product. When the substance is supplied as part of a blend or mixture, the calculation must account for the contribution of all sources in the formulation. The combined concentration must not exceed the stated limit.

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 V record BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE

This page summarizes one Annex V record for BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex V conditions for BENZOIC ACID; SODIUM BENZOATE, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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