Potassium sorbate in cosmetics: the 0.6% EU limit
In the EU, sorbic acid and its salts — including potassium sorbate — are capped at 0.6% as acid in cosmetics (Annex V No 4). The US sets no federal limit.
Short answer: in the EU, sorbic acid and its salts — calcium, sodium and potassium sorbate — are limited to 0.6% as acid in cosmetic products (Regulation 1223/2009, Annex V No 4, consolidated 18.05.2026). The US sets no federal limit.
The numbers
| Substance group | EU limit (as acid) | US |
|---|---|---|
| Sorbic acid, calcium sorbate, sodium sorbate, potassium sorbate | 0.6% total for the group | No federal limit |
One pool, four salts. A formula with 0.3% potassium sorbate plus 0.35% sodium sorbate is 0.65% of the group as acid — over the cap, even though neither salt is individually over 0.6%.
US vs EU
The US has no federal concentration ceiling for potassium sorbate in cosmetics, and the FDA's prohibited-restricted list does not name it. The EU entry is the group cap: whatever mix of sorbic acid and sorbate salts you use, the sum in acid equivalent must stay at or below 0.6%.
Sorbates also work only at low pH (they are the acid that matters, and un-ionized acid falls as pH rises) — a formulation limit, not a legal one, but it explains why "0.6% sorbate" and "0.6% as acid" differ.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the potassium sorbate mass instead of the sorbic acid equivalent. The cap is in acid.
- Using sorbate plus benzoate and only checking one Annex entry. Benzoates are Annex V No 1 with their own limits; the pools are separate.
- Assuming the limit doubles for rinse-off products. No 4 has a single 0.6% figure — no product-type split like benzoates have.
- Counting sorbate used as a flavor in an oral cosmetic product against the same pool. Same entry, same pool.
Do this now
Convert your sorbate salts to sorbic acid equivalent, sum every sorbate in the formula, and compare with 0.6%. If you also use benzoates, check that entry separately.
FAQ
What is the EU limit for potassium sorbate?
0.6% as acid for the whole sorbic acid group — sorbic acid, calcium, sodium and potassium sorbate together (Annex V No 4).
Do sorbic acid and its salts share one pool?
Yes. Any mix of the group is summed as acid against the single 0.6% cap.
Does the limit change for rinse-off products?
No. Annex V No 4 has one 0.6% figure, unlike the benzoates entry which splits by product type.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex V No 4 — consolidated text 18.05.2026
- FDA, prohibited & restricted ingredients in cosmetics — fda.gov
- 21 CFR 701.3, ingredient designation — eCFR, issue 2026-11-06
Last verified: 2026-11-10.
Not legal advice, and not a guarantee of compliance or of acceptance by any authority.
Want this checked against your own formula? Run the free label check. It sums the sorbate group in acid equivalents and applies the 0.6% cap. It returns an issue list, not a print-ready label.
Related: Sodium benzoate: 2.5% / 1.7% / 0.5% · Paraben limits in the EU