Is ITACONIC ACID safe to use in EU cosmetics?

ITACONIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What function does ITACONIC ACID serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, ITACONIC ACID carries the following function designation(s): ANTIMICROBIAL, BUFFERING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT.

What other records share CAS 97-65-4?

CAS 97-65-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains ITACONIC ACID?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 9755414/10/2019

ITACONIC ACID

Butanedioic acid, 2-methylene-

ITACONIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 97-65-4

CAS 97-65-4PubChem CID 811

Itaconic acid

Itaconic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that is methacrylic acid in which one of the methyl hydrogens is substituted by a carboxylic acid group. It has a role as a fungal metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a dicarboxylic fatty acid, a dicarboxylic acid and an olefinic compound. It is functionally related to a succinic acid. It is a conjugate acid of an itaconate(2-). — ChEBI

IUPAC name: 2-methylidenebutanedioic acid

Molecular formula: C5H6O4
Molecular weight: 130.10 g/mol
Exact mass: 130.02660867 Da
XLogP3: -0.1
Topological polar surface area: 74.6 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 2
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 4
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

2-Methylenesuccinic acidMETHYLENESUCCINIC ACIDMethylenebutanedioic acidPropylenedicarboxylic aciditaconateButanedioic acid, methylene-2-Propene-1,2-dicarboxylic acidSuccinic acid, methylene-

16 more reported names

2-methylenebutanedioic acidNSC-3357CHEBI:30838methylidenebutanedioateRefChem:792464hydron;2-methylidenebutanedioate202-599-6Itaconicacidbutanedioic acid, 2-methylene-2-methylenebutanedioateAI3-16901NSC3357CAS-97-65-4HSDB 5308NSC 3357EINECS 202-599-6

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:30838
ChEMBL:CHEMBL359159
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID2026608
PubMed:36862550
PubMed:26358042
PubMed:24781056
PubMed:23000746
PubMed:22925689
PubMed:22885157
PubMed:22814491
PubMed:22759642
PubMed:22704478
PubMed:22658709
PubMed:22569416
PubMed:22493167

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

Inventory details for ITACONIC ACID

INCI name

ITACONIC ACID

Description

Butanedioic acid, 2-methylene-

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 97554
Imported identity: ITACONIC ACID
Source update: 14/10/2019

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for ITACONIC ACID

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Key data

CAS

97-65-4

202-599-6

Restriction

—

Function

ANTIMICROBIAL: Preventing and/or slowing down microbial growth.
BUFFERING: Stabilising the pH of an aqueous medium in a narrow range even if an acid or base is added. Altering and/or maintaining a cosmetic product's pH at the desired level.
SKIN CONDITIONING: Maintaining the skin in good condition.
SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT: Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#14008 · ITACONIC ACID

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

IMIDAZOLEBUFFERING

ISOBUTYRIC ACIDBUFFERING

ISOPROPANOLAMINEBUFFERING

ISOPROPYLAMINEBUFFERING

LACTIC ACIDBUFFERING, HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING

LACTOBACILLUS/AMARANTHUS CAUDATUS SEED FLOUR FERMENT FILTRATEANTIOXIDANT, BUFFERING, EXFOLIATING, SKIN PROTECTING

LACTOBIONIC ACIDBUFFERING

LAURYL P-CRESOL KETOXIMEBUFFERING, SKIN CONDITIONING

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How ITACONIC ACID appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists ITACONIC ACID as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

ITACONIC ACID is also tagged with 4 cosmetic functions in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

ITACONIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, ITACONIC ACID carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 97-65-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.

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Source note for ITACONIC ACID

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for ITACONIC ACID from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research ITACONIC ACID and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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