Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Decode Label flags Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care (skin irritant). It was not found in any of the 912 published products we have analysed.
The concern
Preservative - releases formaldehyde, a contact allergen
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate is a preservative that works by slowly releasing formaldehyde. The EU allows it in cosmetics up to 0.5 percent (Annex V), and the Annex requires a "contains formaldehyde" warning when the free formaldehyde in the finished product passes 0.05 percent. People already sensitised to formaldehyde can react to products preserved this way, and the EU safety committee advised in 2021 that the 0.05 percent warning threshold does not fully protect them. It sits in the same group as DMDM hydantoin and the ureas.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annex V (entry for sodium hydroxymethylglycinate); SCCS advice on formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers (2021)
Linked sources: EU-CosIng →
Not found in this catalogue
0 of 912 published products Decode Label has analysed list Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate or any of its label synonyms. That describes this catalogue, not the Indian market as a whole. If a product we score lists it, it will appear here and its score will reflect it.
Regulatory position
From the published regulation itself. Each row links to its source.
Identity
- Canonical name
- Sodium N-(hydroxymethyl)glycinate; [formaldehyde released from sodium N-(hydroxymethyl)glycinate] if the maximum theoretical concentration of releasable formaldehyde, irrespective of the source, in
- INCI name
- SODIUM HYDROXYMETHYLGLYCINATE
- CAS number
- 70161-44-3
- EC number
- 274-357-8
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate safe?
The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 prohibits Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1669). Why it is flagged: Preservative - releases formaldehyde, a contact allergen. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in cosmetics and personal care. It was not found in any of the 912 published products we have analysed.
How common is Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label has not found Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate in any of the 912 published products analysed so far. That describes this catalogue, not the Indian market as a whole.
Is Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate restricted or banned anywhere?
Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (CosIng), Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate has 1 prohibited entry, 1 permitted entry. Each is shown with its annex reference and a link to the source in the Regulatory position table.
Who should be most careful with Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate?
People with sensitive skin; People prone to allergies; Children.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 912 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 3 November 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.