What does Beta carotene do?

Used in cosmetics as a skin-conditioning agent and a colourant. CI 40800 is classed chemically as a carotenoid colour.

Is Beta carotene safe?

Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning
food
pharma

Beta carotene

CAS 2321332-51-6 · 80/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 4 other CAS numbers

2519474-91-8 · 116-32-5 · 7235-40-7 · 31797-85-0

Concern score

80/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Beta carotene in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Beta-carotene”.
Also known as Beta-carotene · CI 40800 · CI 75130 · Betacarotene · .beta.-carotene · Carotenes (algae)
Show all 43 names
CAROTENES (natural) · CAROTENES (vegetable) · CI Food Orange 5 · beta-CAROTENE beta · Caroten base 35468 · E-160A(III) · Food orange 5 · Ins NO.160A(III) · INS-160A(III) · Lucarotin 30SUN · Provatene · Provatenol · Rovimix .beta.-carotene · Serlabo · all-trans-β-Carotene · .beta.,.beta.-carotene · All-trans-.beta.-carotene · Betavit · Betacaroteno · Betacarotenum · C.I. 40800 · C.I. Food Orange 5 · Carotaben · Kpmk · Karotin · Lucaratin · Natural Yellow 26 · Solatene · Solatene (caps) · Zlut prirodni 26 · all-E-β-Carotene · beta carotenum · beta-Karotin · trans-beta-Carotene · β,β-Carotene · Beta-carotene (constituent of spirulina) · Vitamin A (as beta carotene)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a skin-conditioning agent and a colourant. CI 40800 is classed chemically as a carotenoid colour.
Skin conditioning
Colorant
Colour
Antioxidant
Colourant
Fragrance
Is it a concern?: Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

What the listings say

Permitted, with conditions — Beta carotene appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.

beta Carotene is listed in Annex IV of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (colorants allowed in cosmetic products).

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Beta carotene appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
EU Annex IV — permitted colorant
EU permitted colorant
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Pharma
Food

EUCosIngActive5 entries
- Restriction: IV/111Source →
- CI 40800 is classed chemically as a carotenoid colour. It conforms to the formula: Restriction: IV/55Source →
- CI 75130 is classed chemically as a carotenoid colour. It conforms to the formula: Restriction: IV/111Source →
- Cosmetics Regulation annex IV / ref 111.Source →
- Cosmetics Regulation annex IV / ref 55.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion3 entries
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of mixed carotenes (E 160a (i)) and beta-carotene (E 160a (ii)) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of beta-carotene as a feed additive for all animal species and categories (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Safety of the proposed extension of use of synthetic Beta-carotene [E 160a(ii)] in foods for special medical purposes in young children (EFSA ANS)Source →
USFDAinactive ingredient database2 entries — 2 administration routes
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: EMULSION; Potency: NASource →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Conditions of use and warnings: Purity criteria as set out in Commission Directive 95/45/EC (E 160a)
- Annex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Conditions of use and warnings: Purity criteria as set out in Commission Directive 95/45/EC (E 160a)Source →
EUEFSAEFSA statementStatement on the safety of Beta-carotene use in heavy smokers (EFSA ANS)
- Statement on the safety of Beta-carotene use in heavy smokers (EFSA ANS)Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
GLOBALJECFANO ADI ALLOCATEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT SPECIFIEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: colour.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: colour.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 292 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Personal care, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Softener and conditioner, dyes and pigments.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 292 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Personal care, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Softener and conditioner, dyes and pigments.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 22 active drug products and 22 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 22 active drug products and 22 total products.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Statement on the safety of Beta-carotene use in heavy smokers (EFSA ANS)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of mixed carotenes (E 160a (i)) and beta-carotene (E 160a (ii)) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of beta-carotene as a feed additive for all animal species and categories (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Safety of the proposed extension of use of synthetic Beta-carotene [E 160a(ii)] in foods for special medical purposes in young children (EFSA ANS)
  2016 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: colour.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Beta carotene yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

11 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2020-08-14
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated march 4, 2012
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2027-12-31
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Beta carotene in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

292

Named organisations

Construction and building materialsPersonal careFood and drug

Typical roles

Skin conditioningColorantColourAntioxidantColourantFragrance

See products using Beta carotene →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Beta carotene; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 140 →Find products without it →