What does Biochanin A do?

Used in cosmetics as a humectant, a skin-conditioning agent and a skin protectant.

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

beauty
industrial

Biochanin A

CAS 491-80-5

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Biochanin A in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Genistein methyl ether”.
Also known as Genistein methyl ether · 4'-METHYLGENISTEIN · 5,7-DIHYDROXY-4'-METHOXYISOFLAVONE · 5,7-Dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one · 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)chromen-4-one · Biochanin
Show all 19 names
Biochanine a · (-)-5,7-Dihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone · 4H-1-Benzopyran-4-one, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)- · 5,7-Dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one · 5,7-Dihydroxy-3-p-methoxyphenyl-4H-chromen-4-on · 5,7-Dihydroxy-3-p-methoxyphenyl-4H-chromen-4-one · 5,7-dihidroxi-3-p-metoxifenil-4H-cromen-4-ona · 5,7-dihydroxy-3-p-methoxyphenyl-4H-chromene-4-one · Genistein 4-Methylether · Genistein 4-methyl ether · Pratensol · olmelin · Biochanin a (constituent of red clover)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a humectant, a skin-conditioning agent and a skin protectant.
Humectant
Skin conditioning
Skin protecting
Conditioner
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. Biochanin A appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Humectant, Softener and conditioner.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Humectant, 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

No expert opinion on file for Biochanin A. 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 Biochanin A 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 2020-08-31
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 Biochanin A in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Named organisations

Typical roles

HumectantSkin conditioningSkin protectingConditioner

See products using Biochanin A →