Following the mandate given by the European Commission to the SCCS in the context of the safety assessment of substances with potential endocrine disrupting properties, the Scientific Committee published its final Opinion on Kojic Acid in March 2022. A corrigendum has just been released.
Background
Kojic Acid (CAS No.501-30-4, EC No.207-922-4) is used as a skin lightening/whitening or depigmenting agent in cosmetic products.
The Scientific Committee published its final Opinion in March 2022 and indicated that it was of the opinion that the 1% concentration of Kojic acid was not safe for the intended use in cosmetic products and recommended a maximum concentration of 0.7% for use as a whitening agent.
For an exhaustive background information, see the articles
• Endocrine disruptors: 2nd call for data from the European Commission, CosmeticOBS, 22 February 2021
• Endocrine disruptors: 5 new requests for SCCS Opinions, CosmeticOBS, 15 March 2021
• Kojic Acid: the SCCS preliminary Opinion, CosmeticOBS, 15 November 2021
• Kojic Acid: the SCCS final Opinion, CosmeticOBS, 21 March 2022
This Final Opinion was subject to a corrigendum adopted by the SCCS on 10 June 2022. It includes changes in the following sections: calculation of the systemic exposure dose, safety assessment and conclusion.
The new final Opinion
1. In light of the data provided and taking under consideration the concerns related to potential endocrine disrupting properties of Kojic acid, does the SCCS consider Kojic Acid safe when used in cosmetic products …
