- beauty
- industrial
- pharma
Retinoic acid
CAS 97950-17-9 · 100/100 · High conf.
Also registered as 4 other CAS numbers
7005-78-9 · 56573-65-0 · 187175-63-9 · 302-79-4
Concern score
100/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence
Retinoic acid in plain language
Also known as Tretinoin · Tretinoin (INN) (retinoic acid and its salts) · All-trans retinoic acid · Atra · Aberel · Altreno
Show all 32 names
Avita · Atralin · Cordes vas · Dermairol · Eudyna · Kerlocal · Oristar RNA · Renova · Retin a · Retin-A Micro · Retinoic acid, all-trans- · Retionic acid · Tretin M · Vesanoid · Vitamin A acid · Vitamin A1 acid, all-trans- · all-trans-Tretinoin · all-trans-Vitamin A acid · all-trans-Vitamin A1 acid · beta-Ra · trans-Retinoic acid · Solage component tretinoin · Tri-luma component tretinoin · Ziana component tretinoin · Twyneo component tretinoin · Veltin component tretinoin
We don't have a plain-language description for Retinoic acid yet.
Recorded functional uses: Not reported · No specific technical function
- Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is banned in EU cosmetics.
Why it's flagged
Tretinoin (INN) (retinoic acid and its salts) is prohibited in cosmetic products under Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.
RestrictedEU EC — banned
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
Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.
- In marketed US drugs
- EU Annex II — prohibited
- EU prohibited in cosmetics
- Found in consumer products
- Industrial
- View source →banned
EUEC
Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products.
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 3 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including No specific technical function.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 3 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including No specific technical function.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1 active drug products and 1 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1 active drug products and 1 total products.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
Expert safety opinions
No expert opinion on file for Retinoic acid. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.
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.
Evidence & sources
No graded research studies for Retinoic acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.
Where this comes from
- Open →
CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
- Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2010-10-20
- Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated March 8, 2019
- Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
- Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2026-12-31
- Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
- Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
- Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Suitability
Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.
Fragrance avoidance
No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.
This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.
Where it has been recorded
How often EPA CPDat has listed Retinoic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.
Source records
3
Named organisations
6
Laboratory supplies
Typical roles
Not reportedNo specific technical function