Amended safety assessment of tall oil acid, sodium tallate, potassium tallate, and ammonium tallate

Int J Toxicol. 2009 Nov-Dec;28(6 Suppl 2):252S-8S. doi: 10.1177/1091581809354652.

Abstract

Tall oil acid is a mixture of oleic and linoleic acids (fatty acids) and rosin acids derived from tall oil, a by-product of pulp from resinous woods, used in cosmetic products as a surfactant at concentrations up to 8%. Ammonium, potassium, and sodium salts also are listed as cosmetic ingredients. In addition to the studies summarized in this report, extensive toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity studies in animals are available for oleic, lauric, palmitic, myristic, and stearic fatty acids as published earlier by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). These data may be extrapolated to tall oil acid and its salts. There are no reports of current uses or use concentration data for ammonium tallate, nor are use concentration data available for the other salts. The CIR Expert Panel found tall oil acid, ammonium tallate, potassium tallate, and sodium tallate to be safe cosmetic ingredients in the given practices of use and concentration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinogens / toxicity
  • Cosmetics / chemistry
  • Cosmetics / pharmacokinetics
  • Cosmetics / toxicity*
  • Drug Contamination
  • Eye Diseases / chemically induced
  • Eye Diseases / pathology
  • Humans
  • Irritants / toxicity
  • Linoleic Acids / chemistry
  • Linoleic Acids / pharmacokinetics
  • Linoleic Acids / toxicity*
  • Mutagenicity Tests
  • Mutagens / toxicity
  • Oleic Acids / chemistry
  • Oleic Acids / pharmacokinetics
  • Oleic Acids / toxicity*
  • Plant Oils / chemistry
  • Plant Oils / pharmacokinetics
  • Plant Oils / toxicity*
  • Rabbits
  • Safety
  • Skin Diseases / chemically induced
  • Skin Diseases / pathology
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Carcinogens
  • Cosmetics
  • Irritants
  • Linoleic Acids
  • Mutagens
  • Oleic Acids
  • Plant Oils
  • tall oil