What does Magnesium hydroxide do?

Used in cosmetics as an absorbent and a pH buffer.

Is Magnesium hydroxide safe?

Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Magnesium hydroxide

CAS 1317-43-7 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 4 other CAS numbers

12195-86-7 · 13760-51-5 · 1395893-88-5 · 1309-42-8

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Magnesium hydroxide in plain language

What it is: Also known as Nemalite · Magnesium dihydroxide · Alcanex NHC 25 · Apymag AOH 820 · Aquamag · Asahi Glass 200-06
Show all 39 names
Brucite · Burusaito · Combustrol 500 · Daimushew 6000 · Di-Gel · E-528 · Haley's MO · Hydro-mag MA · Hydrofy G 1.0 · Ins NO.528 · INS-528 · Ki 22-5B · Kisuma 5B-N · Magmesia hydrate · Magnesium hydroxide (Brucite powder) · Magnesium hydroxide (Precipitated MDH) · Magnesium hydroxide, 99%(KT) · Milmag · Milmag (TN) · Mint-O-Mag · Mint-o-mag (TN) · Oxaine m · Phillips magnesia tablets · Phillips milk of magnesia liquid · UNII-NBZ3QY004S · magnesia · magnesite · magnesium hydroxide (magnesite) · magnesium hydroxide (mg(oh)2) · magnesium hydroxide70000 · Magnesium (as hydroxide) · Pepcid complete component magnesium hydroxide · magnesii hydroxidum
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an absorbent and a pH buffer.
Absorbent
Buffering
Acidity regulator, colour retention agent
pH adjuster
Thickener
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 200 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Construction and building materials, Laboratory supplies.

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 hydroxide 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
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database6 entries
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 120 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, CHEWABLE; Maximum daily exposure: 750 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 150 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Potency: 43.4 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, DELAYED RELEASE; Potency: 6.7 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Potency: 0.01 mgSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT LIMITEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator, colour retention agent.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator, colour retention agent.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 200 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Construction and building materials, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Absorbent, Flame retardant.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 200 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Construction and building materials, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Absorbent, Flame retardant.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 288 active drug products and 299 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 288 active drug products and 299 total products.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 lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator, colour retention agent.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Magnesium hydroxide 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 →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated november 8, 2016
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 2027-12-31
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-02
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (2)

Openfda substance

drugoffice.gov.hk

Read →

Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

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.

DairyContains · 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

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 FDA National Drug Code directory has listed Magnesium hydroxide in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

299

Typical roles

AbsorbentBufferingAcidity regulator, colour retention agentpH adjusterThickener

See products using Magnesium hydroxide →

Catalog

Found in these products

Cosmetic and personal-care products that list Magnesium hydroxide are shown first. Their ingredient lists include Magnesium hydroxide; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 69 →Find products without it →