What does Sorbitan monooleate do?

Used in cosmetics as an emulsifier.

Is Sorbitan monooleate safe?

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

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Sorbitan monooleate

CAS 2060-34-6 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 18 other CAS numbers

9015-08-1 · 30233-52-4 · 39289-74-2 · 54693-53-7 · 57273-95-7 · 58391-71-2 · 62340-88-9 · 73202-24-1 · 76011-51-3 · 122303-50-8 · 157090-90-9 · 177529-36-1 · 182372-02-7 · 258823-36-8 · 321711-41-5 · 473272-66-1 · 1178544-19-8 · 1338-43-8

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Sorbitan monooleate in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Sorbitan oleate”.
Also known as Sorbitan oleate · Sorbitan esters sorbitan oleate · Sorbitan mono-oleate · fatty acid ester · Sorbitan, mono-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate · 1,4-ANHYDRO-D-GLUCITOL, 6-(9-OCTADECENOATE
Show all 34 names
Anhydrosorbitol monooleate · D-glucitol, 1,4-ANHYDRO-, 6-(9-OCTADECENOATE) · Sorbitan mono-oletae · Sorbitan, MONO-9-OCTADECENOATE · (Z)-Sorbitan mono-9-octadecenoate · Arlacel 80 · Alkamuls SMO · Armotan MO · Atlas G 946 · Crill 4 · Dehymuls SMO · Disponil 100 · E-494 · Emasol O 10 · Glycomul O · Ins NO.494 · INS-494 · Kosteran O 1 · Lonzest SMO · Oleate de sorbitan · Oleato de sorbitano · Span 80 · Sorbester P 17 · Sorbitan 9 · Sorbitan O · Sorbitani oleas · emsorb 2500 · sorbitan mono0oleate
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an emulsifier.
Emulsifying
Emulsifier, stabilizer
Emulsifier
Surfactant
Humectant
Fragrance
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 900 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Vehicle.

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 monooleate 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 database17 entries — 4 administration routes
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 1080 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 19 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, COATED; Potency: 0.13 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 4 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Maximum daily exposure: 12 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 2 mgSource →
- Route: RECTAL; Dosage form: SUPPOSITORY; Maximum daily exposure: 390 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Maximum daily exposure: 50 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 1.7 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: GEL; Maximum daily exposure: 20 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Maximum daily exposure: 7 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: OINTMENT; Potency: NASource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SPRAY; Maximum daily exposure: 8 mgSource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: FILM, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: NASource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Potency: 2.33 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Maximum daily exposure: 200 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: EMULSION; Potency: 2.5 %w/wSource →
EUCosIngActiveSorbitan oleate
- Sorbitan oleateSource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinionRe-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)
- 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 →
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 900 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Fragrance.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 900 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Fragrance.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
- 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 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 monooleate 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 june 20, 2019
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

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 Sorbitan monooleate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

900

Named organisations

Construction and building materialsIndustrial productsVehicleBatteriesCleaning products and household careSpecialty occupational products

Typical roles

EmulsifyingEmulsifier, stabilizerEmulsifierSurfactantHumectantFragrance

See products using Sorbitan monooleate →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 139 →Find products without it →