beauty
food
industrial
pharma

Soybean lecithin

CAS 8035-17-4 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 7 other CAS numbers

8052-43-5 · 8057-53-2 · 55128-59-1 · 252035-82-8 · 1799810-04-0 · 2649116-22-1 · 8002-43-5

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Soybean lecithin in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Lecithin”.
Also known as Lecithin · Phosphatidylcholine · partially hydrolyzed LECITHIN · Lecithins · Acti-Flow 68SB · Alcolec BS
Show all 12 names
Alcolec F 100 · Alcolec PG · Alcolec S · Alcolec Z 7 · phosphatamides · soybean derivative
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an emollient, an emulsifier and a skin-conditioning agent. Lecithins. The complex combination of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acid.
Emollient
Emulsifying
Skin conditioning
Antistatic
Antioxidant synergist, emulsifier, synergist
Antioxidant, emulsifier
Is it a concern?: Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 5060 composition records across product categories including Furniture and furnishings, Raw materials, Specialty occupational 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. Soybean lecithin appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database7 entries — 3 administration routes
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Potency: 0.33 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 20 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 8 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 39 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Potency: 20 mgSource →
- Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: 1 %w/wSource →
- Route: RESPIRATORY (INHALATION); Dosage form: AEROSOL, METERED; Potency: 0.1 %w/wSource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion5 entries
- Safety and efficacy of lecithins (Lipidol) for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Re-evaluation of lecithins (E 322) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)Source →
- Modification of the terms of authorisation of lecithins as a feed additive for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Safety and efficacy of lecithins for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Opinion on the re-evaluation of lecithins (E 322) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of its re-evaluation as food additive for uses in foods for all population groups (EFSA FAF)Source →
EUCosIngActive2 entries
- Lecithins, egg yolkSource →
- Lecithins. The complex combination of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acidSource →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record. Functional class: antioxidant synergist, emulsifier, synergist.
- JECFA evaluation record. Functional class: antioxidant synergist, emulsifier, synergist.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT LIMITEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: antioxidant, emulsifier.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: antioxidant, emulsifier.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 5060 composition records across product categories including Furniture and furnishings, Raw materials, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Softener and conditioner, Humectant, Anti-static agent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 5060 composition records across product categories including Furniture and furnishings, Raw materials, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Softener and conditioner, Humectant, Anti-static agent.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 2 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 2 total products.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
- Safety and efficacy of lecithins (Lipidol) for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2016 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Re-evaluation of lecithins (E 322) as a food additive (EFSA ANS)
  2017 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Modification of the terms of authorisation of lecithins as a feed additive for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2018 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Safety and efficacy of lecithins for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2016 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Opinion on the re-evaluation of lecithins (E 322) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and follow-up of its re-evaluation as food additive for uses in foods for all population groups (EFSA FAF)
  2020 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record. Functional class: antioxidant synergist, emulsifier, synergist.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: antioxidant, emulsifier.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

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

7 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated september 28, 2015
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2026-12-31
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →

Allergen profile

Canonical allergen markers detected on this ingredient. Each row is derived from the ingredient’s name or synonyms matching a known allergen class — useful when scanning a label for a specific allergy context.

SoyContains · Oral (ingested)
Source: chemindex_name_match

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

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

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

Source records

5,060

Named organisations

Furniture and furnishingsRaw materialsSpecialty occupational productsHome maintenanceLaboratory suppliesIndustrial products

Typical roles

EmollientEmulsifyingSkin conditioningAntistaticAntioxidant synergist, emulsifier, synergistAntioxidant, emulsifier

See products using Soybean lecithin →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 575 →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Soybean lecithin in the catalog.