Build my profileBuild my profile

Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Riboflavin in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Riboflavin is a cosmetic ingredient that gives the product or the skin colour. The EU lists it as an allowed colorant. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 17 products, most often dietary supplements.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Riboflavin do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Riboflavin gives the product or the skin colour and keeps the skin in good condition. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: cosmetic colorant and skin conditioning.

cosmetic colorantskin conditioning

What other names and numbers does Riboflavin have?

CAS number
83-88-5
EC number
201-507-1
CosIng reference
37498

Is Riboflavin restricted in the EU?

It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed colorant, with its own conditions of use (Annex IV of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 145).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Riboflavin?

Open Beauty Facts finds Riboflavin in the ingredient lists of 17 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often dietary supplements and facial creams.

  • Dietary supplements2
  • Facial creams1

Products with it, by country of sale: United States 5 · United Kingdom 3 · France 2 · Spain 2.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Riboflavin turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsColorants

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

Create a website profile with the things you avoid and the people you check for.

Build my profile

Save and edit your profile on this website. App transfer is not available yet.