What does 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid do?

Used in cosmetics as a skin-conditioning agent.

Is 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid safe?

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

beauty
industrial

3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid

CAS 25302-76-5

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

99-06-9

3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid chemical structure

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as Benzoic acid, 3-HYDROXY- · Benzoic acid, m-hydroxy- · M-salicylic acid · 3-Carboxyphenol · 3-HYDROXYBENZOESAEURE · 3-Hydroxy benzoic acid
Show all 18 names
3-Hydroxybenzoesaure · 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, monosodium salt · Ac pe 3HB · Acido m-idrossibenzoico · Benzoic Acid, 3- Hydroxy- · Kyselina 3-hydroxybenzoova · M-hydroxybenzoic acid · acide 3-hydroxybenzoique · acido 3-hidroxibenzoico · m-Carboxyphenol · m-Hba · meta-Hydroxybenzoic acid
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a skin-conditioning agent.
Skin conditioning
Flavouring
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. 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid 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 Softener and conditioner, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Softener and conditioner, Flavouring and nutrient.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 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC 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 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC 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 February 8, 2019
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 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Named organisations

Typical roles

Skin conditioningFlavouringConditioner

See products using 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid →