POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE
POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE is banned in cosmetics in the EU — Annex II, entry 1396 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Review the regulatory details and Safety Gate alerts.
Regulatory data checked on 2026-09-05. The legal status follows Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and its annexes; the substance is identified from the European Commission's CosIng database.
About the ingredient
Potassium salt of the reaction product of boric acid and ascorbic acid
EU regulatory status
Annex of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: II/1396
What entry II/1396 of the Regulation says
Borates, tetraborates, octaborates and boric acid salts and esters, including: Disodium octaborate anhydrous [1] Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate [2] 2-Aminoethanol, monoester with boric acid [3] 2-Hydroxypropyl ammonium dihydrogen orthoborate [4] Potassium borate, boric acid potassium salt [5] Trioctyldodecyl borate [6] Zinc borate [7] Sodium borate, disodium tetraborate anhydrous; boric acid, sodium salt [8] Tetraboron disodium heptaoxide, hydrate [9] Orthoboric acid, sodium salt [10] Disodium tetraborate decahydrate; borax decahydrate [11] Disodium tetraborate pentahydrate; borax pentahydrate [12]
Source: the European Commission's official CosIng database and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products. How we assess ingredients — full methodology.
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Functions in cosmetics
Frequently asked questions
Is POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE safe in cosmetics?
POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE falls under Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, and under Article 14 a cosmetic product placed on the EU market must not contain a substance prohibited by that annex. This is a legal status, not a toxicity finding about any particular product. Where a non-compliant product is found, the competent authority requires the responsible person to bring it into conformity, withdraw it from the market or recall it, proportionate to the risk; products presenting a serious risk are also notified through the EU Safety Gate.
In which annex of Regulation 1223/2009 does POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE fall?
POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE falls under reference II/1396 in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. An annex entry may name a substance directly or cover it as part of a broader category. The first part (Roman numeral) indicates the annex: II – prohibited substances, III – substances restricted by conditions, IV – permitted colorants, V – permitted preservatives, VI – permitted UV filters.
What functions does POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE perform in cosmetics?
According to the European Commission's CosIng database, POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE performs the following functions in cosmetics: SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT. Functions are defined in the CosIng glossary and describe the technological role of a substance in the finished product.
Are there Safety Gate alerts concerning POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE?
Our copy of the EU Safety Gate database currently contains no alerts linking POTASSIUM ASCORBYLBORATE to a cosmetic recall. The database is refreshed regularly from the European Commission's official Safety Gate system.