What does Benzilic acid do?

Used in cosmetics as a pH buffer.

Is Benzilic acid safe?

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
industrial

Benzilic acid

CAS 76-93-7

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Benzilic acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as Trospium chloride related compound a · Acide diphenylhydroxyacetique · 2-hydroxy-2,2-diphenylacetic acid · Hydroxy(diphenyl)acetic acid · .alpha.-hydroxy-.alpha.-phenylbenzeneacetic acid · 2,2-Diphenyl-2-hydroxyacetic acid
Show all 22 names
Acide benzilique · Benzeneacetic acid, .alpha.-hydroxy-.alpha.-phenyl- · Benzeneacetic acid, α-hydroxy-α-phenyl- · Benzilsaeure · Benzilsaure · Benzylic acid · Diphenylglycolic acid · Diphenylhydroxyacetic acid · Glycolic acid, diphenyl- · Hydroxydiphenylacetic acid · Mandelic acid, alpha-phenyl- · UNII-8F6J993XXR · acido bencilico · alpha-Diphenylglycolic acid alpha · alpha-Hydroxy-2,2-diphenylacetic acid · alpha-phenylmandelic acid
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a pH buffer.
Buffering
pH adjuster
Is it a concern?: We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Benzilic acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent.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 Benzilic 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 Benzilic acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated August 2013
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
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
Open →

Suitability

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

Fragrance avoidance

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

Where it has been recorded

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

Source records

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesPersonal care

Typical roles

BufferingpH adjuster

See products using Benzilic acid →