What does Fluorescein sodium do?

Used in cosmetics as a colourant.

Is Fluorescein sodium safe?

Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is banned in EU cosmetics.

beauty
cleaning
industrial
pharma

Fluorescein sodium

CAS 518-45-6 · 100/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 13 other CAS numbers

518-47-8 · 3266-99-7 · 31949-37-8 · 34517-88-9 · 41935-48-2 · 121511-05-5 · 135354-40-4 · 208117-76-4 · 574737-69-2 · 893427-14-0 · 1279055-25-2 · 2035931-33-8 · 2196172-50-4

Concern score

100/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Fluorescein sodium in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Acid yellow 73”.
Also known as Acid yellow 73 · Acid yellow 73 sodium salt · CI 45350 · Fluorescein disodium salt · Disodium 2-(3-oxo-6-oxidoxanthen-9-yl)benzoate · Sodium Fluorescein
Show all 36 names
D&C yellow no. 8 · KI202(1) · KI202(2) · C.I. 45350 · C.I. acid yellow 73 · Disodium salt fluorescein · KI202 · Resorcinol phthalein sodium · Soluble fluorescein · Uranin · Uranine · Uranine wss · Yellow 8 · disodium;2-(3-oxido-6-oxoxanthen-9-yl)benzoate · 11824 Yellow · 12417 Yellow · 2-(3-Oxo-6-oxydoxanthen-9-yl)benzoate de disodium · 2-(3-oxo-6-oxidoxanten-9-il)benzoato de disodio · 2-(3-oxo-6-oxydoxanthene-9-yl)benzoate de disodium · 3058 Uranine · Ak-Fluor · CI 45350 (Na salt) · Disodium 2-(6-OXIDO-3-OXO-3H-XANTHEN-9-YL)BENZOATE · Funduscein-25 · Sodium fluoresceinate · Uranine Yellow · green dye · sodium fluorescien · yellow dye (non haz.) · Fluoresceinum natricum
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a colourant.
Colorant
Colourant
Is it a concern?: Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is banned in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

2-(6-Hydroxy-3-oxo-(3H)xanthen-9-yl)benzoic acid; Fluorescein and its disodium salt (Acid Yellow 73 sodium salt; CI 45350), when used as a substance in hair dye products is prohibited in cosmetic products under Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.

RestrictedEU EC — banned

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

Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.

In marketed US drugs
EU Annex II — prohibited
EU Annex IV — permitted colorant
EU permitted colorant
EU prohibited in cosmetics

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEC
Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products.
banned
View source →

USFDAlisted in openFDA substance2 entries
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as concept.Source →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Other conditions: 6%
- Annex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Other conditions: 6%Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 83 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 83 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 12 active drug products and 12 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 12 active drug products and 12 total products.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Fluorescein sodium. 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 Fluorescein sodium yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

7 data sources

Where this comes from

EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2013-05-07
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated march 17, 2016
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 →
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.

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 Fluorescein sodium in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

Named organisations

Raw materialsLaboratory suppliesPersonal careVehicleIndustrial productsCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

ColorantColourant

See products using Fluorescein sodium →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 18 →Find products without it →