beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Magnesium stearate

CAS 212132-26-8 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 5 other CAS numbers

557-04-0 · 557-05-1 · 1592-23-0 · 7047-84-9 · 91031-63-9

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Magnesium stearate in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Aluminum stearate”.
Also known as Aluminum stearate · Calcium stearate · Zinc stearate · Aluminium stearate · Aluminium, zinc, magnesium and calcium stearates · Dibasic magnesium stearate
Show all 39 names
Magnesium stearate g · Magnesium dioctadecanoate · Octadecanoic acid, magnesium salt (2:1) · magnesium bis(octadecanoate) · AFCO-Chem MGS · Aurabrite MA 76 · Calcium distearate · Daycling · Daiwax SMO · Dihydroxyaluminium stearate · EM 100 (salt) · HyQual · Kemilub EM-F-V · Liga MF 2V · Magnesium octadecanoate · Magnesium distearate · Np 1500 · Octadecanoic acid (magnesium salt) · Petrac MG 20NF · Sm 1000 · magnesium salt Stearic acid · Synpro 90 · Synpro Magnesium Stearate 90 · Zinc dioctadecanoate · Zinc salt of stearic acid · aluminium monostearate · magnesium stearate nf · magnesium stearate(ingredient 2 and ingredient 3 = 5%) · magnesium stearate/sterotex · magnesium(ii) stearate · sterotex/magnesium stearate · zinci stearas · magnesii stearas
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a moisturiser, a colourant and an anticaking agent. Magnesium Stearate is the magnesium salt of stearic acid.
Moisturising
Colorant
Anticaking
Bulking
Emulsion stabilising
Slip modifier
Is it a concern?: Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

What the listings say

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

Aluminium, zinc, magnesium and calcium stearates 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. Magnesium stearate appears in these published regulatory listings.

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
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database40 entries — 9 administration routes
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: DROPS; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: GRANULE; Maximum daily exposure: 629 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: GRANULE, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 14 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: INHALANT; Potency: 0.08 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: LOZENGE; Maximum daily exposure: 420 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: PELLET; Maximum daily exposure: 24 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER; Maximum daily exposure: 25 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 120 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 64 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 71 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 980 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, CHEWABLE; Maximum daily exposure: 127 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, CHEWABLE, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 9 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, COATED; Maximum daily exposure: 184 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 144 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 173 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Maximum daily exposure: 96 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 53 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 131 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING; Maximum daily exposure: 187 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 47 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, SUGAR COATED; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TROCHE; Maximum daily exposure: 315 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: WAFER; Potency: 66 mgSource →
- Route: RESPIRATORY (INHALATION); Dosage form: POWDER; Potency: 0.13 mgSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: IMPLANT; Potency: 0.5 mgSource →
- Route: SUBLINGUAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Potency: 17.5 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: NASource →
- Route: TRANSMUCOSAL; Dosage form: LOZENGE; Maximum daily exposure: 100 mgSource →
- Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: INSERT; Maximum daily exposure: 69 mgSource →
- Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: RING; Maximum daily exposure: 2 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: POWDER; Maximum daily exposure: 104 mgSource →
- Route: BUCCAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Potency: 17.5 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVITREAL; Dosage form: IMPLANT; Potency: NASource →
- Route: INTRAVITREAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Potency: 0.02 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Potency: 256.4 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, COATED PELLETS; Potency: 0.15 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, COATED, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 1060 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 117 mgSource →
EUCosIngActive5 entries
- Magnesium Stearate is the magnesium salt of stearic acid. It conforms generally to the formula: Restriction: IV/150Source →
- Zinc Stearate is the zinc salt of stearic acid that conforms generally to the formula: Restriction: IV/150Source →
- Aluminum Stearate is the aluminum salt of stearic acid that conforms to the formula: Restriction: IV/150Source →
- Cosmetics Regulation annex IV / ref 150.Source →
- Calcium Stearate is the calcium salt of stearic acid. It conforms to the formula: Restriction: IV/150Source →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products.
- Annex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT SPECIFIEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: anticaking agent, emulsifier, food additives.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: anticaking agent, emulsifier, food additives.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1409 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Construction and building materials, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Anti-caking agent, Dye.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1409 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Construction and building materials, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Anti-caking agent, Dye.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.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.
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 NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: anticaking agent, emulsifier, food additives.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

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

9 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2010-10-18
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated September 2017
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
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

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

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 Magnesium stearate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

1,409

Named organisations

Raw materialsConstruction and building materialsFood and drugHome maintenanceSpecialty occupational productsLaboratory supplies

Typical roles

MoisturisingColorantAnticakingBulkingEmulsion stabilisingSlip modifier

See products using Magnesium stearate →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 1000+ →Find products without it →