beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Sorbitan monolaurate

CAS 8028-02-2 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 5 other CAS numbers

53528-77-1 · 55070-12-7 · 76011-50-2 · 507483-77-4 · 1338-39-2

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Sorbitan monolaurate in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Sorbitan laurate”.
Also known as Sorbitan laurate · Sorbitan esters sorbitan laurate · Sorbitan monododecanoate · 1,4-ANHYDRO-D-GLUCITOL, 6-DODECANOATE · Anhydrosorbitol monolaurate · Monododecanoate sorbitan
Show all 28 names
Alkamuls S 20 · Alkamuls SML · Arlacel 20 · Armotan ML · Dehymuls SML · Disponil SML 100 · E-493 · Glycomul L · Glycomul LC · Ins NO.493 · INS-493 · Kemotan S 20 · Laurate de sorbitan · Laurato de sorbitano · Lonzest SML · Montane 20 · Radiasurf 7125 · Span 20 · Sorbitani lauras · Sorgen 90 · Span(R) 20 · Texnol SPT
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an emulsifier.
Emulsifying
Emulsifier, stabilizer
Emulsifier
Surfactant
Antistatic
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 325 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Vehicle, Cleaning products and household care.

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. Sorbitan monolaurate appears in these published regulatory listings.

Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database12 entries — 4 administration routes
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 800 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Potency: 2.5 mg/5mlSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 800 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Maximum daily exposure: 800 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL; Potency: 4.74 %w/wSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Maximum daily exposure: 341 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: 0.5 %w/wSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: GEL; Potency: 1 %w/wSource →
- Route: NASAL; Dosage form: SPRAY, METERED; Maximum daily exposure: 1 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION, SUSPENSION, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 15 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: EMULSION; Potency: NASource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Potency: 0.08 mgSource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
- Safety and efficacy of sorbitan monolaurate as a feed additive for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Re-evaluation of sorbitan monostearate (E 491), sorbitan tristearate (E 492), sorbitan monolaurate (E 493), sorbitan monooleate (E 494) and sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495) when used as food additives (EFSA ANS)Source →
EUCosIngActiveSorbitan laurate
- Sorbitan laurateSource →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
GLOBALJECFA0-25 mg/kg bwJECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw. Functional class: emulsifier, stabilizer.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw. Functional class: emulsifier, stabilizer.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 325 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Vehicle, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Anti-static agent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 325 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Vehicle, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Anti-static 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

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 sorbitan monolaurate as a feed additive for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2019 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Re-evaluation of sorbitan monostearate (E 491), sorbitan tristearate (E 492), sorbitan monolaurate (E 493), sorbitan monooleate (E 494) and sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495) when used as food additives (EFSA ANS)
  2017 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-25 mg/kg bw. Functional class: emulsifier, stabilizer.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Sorbitan monolaurate 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 →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated September 2018
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

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 EPA CPDat has listed Sorbitan monolaurate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

325

Named organisations

Personal careVehicleCleaning products and household careBatteriesRaw materials

Typical roles

EmulsifyingEmulsifier, stabilizerEmulsifierSurfactantAntistatic

See products using Sorbitan monolaurate →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 42 →Find products without it →