Body & Beauty / Compounds / Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator)

Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

What is tetrasodium edta (na4edta / edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator)?

The IUPAC name is 2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]acetic acid.

Also known as: NITRILOTRIACETIC ACID, 139-13-9, Triglycollamic acid, N,N-Bis(carboxymethyl)glycine.

IUPAC name
2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]acetic acid
CAS number
64-02-8
Molecular formula
C6H9NO6
Molecular weight
191.14 g/mol
SMILES
C(C(=O)O)N(CC(=O)O)CC(=O)O
PubChem CID
8758

Risk for people

Low risk

Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
CIR—Safe as used in cosmetics (up to 0.5%)
EU—Permitted in cosmetics; no specific restriction
ECHA—H318 serious eye damage; H302 harmful if swallowed

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter tetrasodium edta (na4edta / edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator)

  • Personal Care — shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, liquid hand soap
  • Cleaning Products — all-purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry detergent
  • Cosmetics — foundation, mascara, eye cream, moisturizer
  • Industrial — CIP cleaning solutions, metal surface treatment

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator):

  • GLDA
    Trade-offs: Alternative chelating agent; stability constants for target metal ions differ; biodegradability varies (EDTA poorly biodegradable, citrate fully biodegradable); downstream water treatment impact should be assessed.
  • Sodium phytate
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for 'natural' label; many natural fragrance compounds are potent allergens (limonene, linalool, eugenol); 'natural' ≠ 'safe'; often more expensive than synthetic equivalents.

Frequently asked questions

What products contain tetrasodium edta (na4edta / edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator)?

Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) appears in: shampoo (personal care); conditioner (personal care); all-purpose cleaners (cleaning products); bathroom cleaners (cleaning products); foundation (cosmetics).

Why do regulators disagree about tetrasodium edta (na4edta / edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator)?

Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) has been classified by 3 agencies including CIR, EU, ECHA, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Tetrasodium EDTA (Na4EDTA / Edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator) in the body app

Look up products containing tetrasodium edta (na4edta / edetate sodium / cosmetic chelator), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →