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Gold

CAS 33019-35-1 · 80/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 2 other CAS numbers

1093282-27-9 · 7440-57-5

Gold chemical structure

Concern score

80/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Gold in plain language

What it is

On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “CI 77480”.

Also known as CI 77480 · Colloidal gold · GOLD (metallic) · Gold (e 175) · Elemental gold · AGC Micro

Show all 24 names

Britecote · Burnish Gold · C.I. 77480 · C.I. Pigment Metal 3 · E-175 · Finesphere Gold W 011 · Furuuchi 8560 · Gold black · Gold flake · Gold leaf · Ins NO.175 · INS-175 · Magnesium gold purple · Shell Gold · au · au (gold) · gold powder · Aurum metallicum

What it does

Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial, a skin-conditioning agent and a colourant. Colloidal Gold is the product obtained by the suspension of gold in water or other liquids.

  • Antimicrobial
  • Skin conditioning
  • Colorant
  • Slip modifier
  • Surface modifier
  • Colour
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 — Gold appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.

Gold 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. Gold appears in these published regulatory listings.

  • In marketed US drugs
  • EU Annex IV — permitted colorant
  • EU permitted colorant

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Industrial
  • EUCosIngActive4 entries
    • Colloidal Gold is the product obtained by the suspension of gold in water or other liquids.Source →
    • Gold is a metallic element. (To identify the colourant allowed for use in the EU, the INCI Name CI 77480 must be used). Restriction: IV/133Source →
    • Cosmetics Regulation annex IV / ref 133.Source →
    • CI 77480 is classed chemically as an inorganic colour. It consists of metallic gold. Restriction: IV/133Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrence2 entries
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 205 active drug products and 223 total products.Source →
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1 active drug products and 1 total products.Source →
  • 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 (E175)
    • 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 (E175)Source →
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinionScientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of gold (E 175) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)
    • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of gold (E 175) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)Source →
  • GLOBALJECFANO ADI ALLOCATEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 160 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Raw materials, Industrial products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Biocide, Softener and conditioner.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 160 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Raw materials, Industrial products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Biocide, Softener and conditioner.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.

  • EFSA

    European Food Safety Authority

    • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of gold (E 175) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)

      2016 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

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

10 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 october 21, 2016

    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 →

  • 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 →
Reference links (2)

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

Source records

160

Named organisations

6

Laboratory suppliesRaw materialsIndustrial productsConstructionHome maintenanceConstruction and building materials

Typical roles

AntimicrobialSkin conditioningColorantSlip modifierSurface modifierColour
See products using Gold →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 30 →Find products without it →