GRAS stands for Generally Recognised As Safe. It refers to ingredients that are considered safe for specific food uses under the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, based on expert consensus. Cosmetic formulations often contain these ingredients due to their long history of safe use on skin. 

Is GRAS internationally recognised?

GRAS is not an internationally recognised safety designation. Each country’s regulator tends to have its own lists and annexes of cosmetic ingredients that are either banned, restricted or pre-approved for use. Varying purity, concentration, and application conditions need to be met for GRAS cosmetic formulations to be compliant.

A 2024 independent study explored how food-safety concepts such as GRAS differ from EU cosmetic safety requirements, which don’t rely on historical use. Even within the U.S., GRAS status does not mean that an ingredient is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetics; it merely suggests a robust safety profile.

Why are GRAS ingredients popular in cosmetics?

GRAS ingredients such as Glycerin and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) feature in the formulations of global brands because they are familiar to regulators, consumers and manufacturers alike, across the world. 

Using GRAS ingredients can justify terms like ‘food-grade’ and ‘GRAS-recognised’ to reassure consumers who are not satisfied by cosmetic safety testing alone. GRAS ingredients also have practical advantages because they tend to work in topical applications, which reduces manufacturing headaches and costs. GRAS compounds have low irritation potential and are generally biocompatible with both skin and mucosal surfaces.

Do GRAS ingredients actually work?

A GRAS designation has no bearing on whether a cosmetic ingredient works or not in medical and pharmaceutical terms. Beauty brands need to be very careful about how they word product claims, especially when implying measurable efficacy through the use of scientific language or data (cosmeceuticals).

Making false or misleading claims can risk the product being withdrawn, banned or reclassified as a drug (medicinal product). Reclassification entails lengthy and costly clinical trials with uncertain outcomes that cosmetic brands are usually very keen to avoid.

Nevertheless, some GRAS actives do have evidence-based cosmetic benefits. For example, ascorbic acid's antioxidant effects have been demonstrated in clinical trials.

What are common GRAS actives?

Common GRAS ingredients include Glycerin, a humectant, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and Tocopherol (Vitamin E), both antioxidants, and Lactic Acid, which is a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) exfoliant. Other common ‘active’ ingredients, such as Hyaluronic Acid and Allantoin, are not fully recognized as GRAS for food, but are considered safe for cosmetic use in the U.S. and EU.