beauty
cleaning
food
pharma

Quillaja saponaria bark

CAS 68990-67-0 · 40/100 · High conf.

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Quillaja saponaria bark in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Quillaja saponaria bark extract”.
Also known as Quillaja saponaria bark extract · Quillaja saponaria root extract · Quillaja saponaria wood extract · Quillaia · Quillaja · Quillaja saponaria
Show all 32 names
Bois de panama · Panama bark extract · Quillai extract · Quillay bark extract · Quillaia extract · Quillaja bark · Quillaja saponaria extract · Soapbark extract · China bark extract · Murillo bark extract · Panama wood extract · Quillaia extract type i · Soap bark · Soap tree bark · E-999(I) · Ins NO.999(I) · INS-999(I) · QL-Ultra · Quillaia extract (quillaja saponaria molina) · Quillaja bark extract · Quillaja saponaria, ext. · extracto Quillaja saponaria · extracts Quillaja saponaria · extraits Quillaja saponaria · Quillajanin C 100 · Quillajanin QP 20
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a moisturiser, an emulsifier and a skin-conditioning agent. Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract is an extract of the bark of the Panama Bark, Quillaja saponaria, Rosaceae.
Moisturising
Emulsifying
Skin conditioning
Anti-seborrheic
Cleansing
Foaming
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 161 composition records across product categories including Personal care, 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. Quillaja saponaria bark appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning

EUCosIngActive4 entries
- Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract is an extract of the bark of the Panama Bark, Quillaja saponaria, RosaceaeSource →
- Quillaja Saponaria Root Extract is an extract of the roots of the Panama Bark, Quillaja saponaria, RosaceaeSource →
- Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract is the extract of the wood obtained from Panama Bark, Quillaja saponaria, RosaceaeSource →
- Quillaja Saponaria Bark is a plant material derived from the dried bark of the Panama Bark, Quillaja saponaria, RosaceaeSource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
- Re-evaluation of Quillaia extract (E 999) as a food additive and safety of the proposed extension of use (EFSA FAF)Source →
- Safety and efficacy of BIOSTRONG 510 (essential oil of thyme and star anise) for chickens and minor avian species for fattening and rearing to point of lay (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substance2 entries
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as concept.Source →
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as structurallydiverse.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 161 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Surfactant (surface active agent), Deodorizer.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 161 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Cleaning products and household care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Surfactant (surface active agent), Deodorizer.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
- Re-evaluation of Quillaia extract (E 999) as a food additive and safety of the proposed extension of use (EFSA FAF)
  2019 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Safety and efficacy of BIOSTRONG 510 (essential oil of thyme and star anise) for chickens and minor avian species for fattening and rearing to point of lay (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2016 · 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 →

Evidence & sources

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

8 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 2017
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
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 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →

Reference links (2)

Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Openfda substance

henriettesherbal.com

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 Quillaja saponaria bark in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

161

Named organisations

Personal careCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

MoisturisingEmulsifyingSkin conditioningAnti-seborrheicCleansingFoaming

See products using Quillaja saponaria bark →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 22 →Find products without it →