Dehydroacetic Acid
حمض الديهيدرو أسيتيك
Preservative · INCI: Dehydroacetic Acid · CAS: 520-45-6
A common preservative - fine at current limits, but its safety is under active review.
Why this verdict
Annex V permitted preservative (0.6% as the acid; not in sprays/aerosols), BUT under active EU/CIR safety re-opening over reproductive-tox (DART) data + hypersensitivity case reports → caution. Watch for possible CMR reclassification.
What It Is
A preservative often marketed as a 'gentle/natural-friendly' alternative.
A broad-spectrum preservative popular in 'clean'/natural-leaning formulas, capped at 0.6% in the EU and banned in sprays. The honest flag: its safety is being actively re-examined - the Cosmetic Ingredient Review re-opened its assessment over reproductive-toxicity data, and there are scattered reports of allergic skin reactions. Not alarming at current limits, but a 'watch this space' ingredient.
Evidence & Status
IARC Carcinogen Group
Not classified
EU Status
Annex V permitted preservative (0.6% as acid; no sprays) per most recent published list (2024–2025). UNDER ACTIVE CIR re-opening / CLP review for reproductive toxicity - status may change.
US · FDA Status
FDA: permitted preservative (e.g., cut/peeled squash ≤65ppm); CIR re-opened safety assessment (2023, DART data)
Cosmetic Safety
EU concentration limit
Annex V - max 0.6% (expressed as dehydroacetic acid); not to be used in aerosol dispensers (sprays). [Entry# not primary-verified this build.]
EU Annex status
Annex V (preservative)
Function
preservative
Halal Status: Halal
Synthetic; halal/vegan.
Worth Knowing
Also Known As
DHA · 3-Acetyl-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2 · 4(3H)-dione · 16807-48-0
Primary Source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
More In This Category
Get ORIA when it launches
Join the waitlist - we'll email you the moment ORIA lands. Then scan any product and get a clear verdict on every ingredient, in seconds.
Coming soon to iOS and Android