Hyaluric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate and Potassium Hyaluronate are white fiber-like or creamy powders. In cosmetics and personal care products, these ingredients are used mainly in the formulation of skin care products, lipsticks and eye and facial makeup.
The CIR Expert Panel reviewed acute, short-term and chronic toxicological studies and concluded that they did not demonstrate any cause for concern. Hyaluronic Acid did not cause reproductive or developmental toxicity. There was no genotoxicity found in reverse mutation tests, micronucleus tests and chromosomal aberration tests.
There were no skin reactions in an immunogenicity test of Sodium Hyaluronate on humans. Hyaluronic Acid also has medical uses in which it is injected into the body. In 2000, there were 144 reported adverse reactions from medical injection use of Hyaluronic Acid out of a possible 262,000 uses. Most reactions were resolved within 2 weeks. In the case reports of adverse effects from Hyaluronic Acid that have appeared, most were related to its use as a treatment for osteoarthritis or for tissue augmentation, and all these cases were from injections and not topical use. Moreover, there were no reported reactions to topically applied Hyaluronic Acid, further supporting that Hyaluronic Acid at levels currently used in cosmetics and personal care products applied to the skin should not be of concern.
Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate and Potassium Hyaluronate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union. Ingredients of animal origin must comply with European Union animal by-products regulations.
Link to the EU Cosmetics Directive: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/cosmetics/html/consolidated_d...