active

Cysteine

INCI: CYSTEINE
CAS 52-90-4 EC 200-158-2 / 222-160-2
L-Cysteine
Limited Data
Insufficient safety data available. Consider enriching this ingredient.
Details

Description

L-Cysteine

Purpose

Function

amino acid; reducing agent; hair-restructuring active; keratin smoothing agent; disulfide bond modulator
Profile

Properties

Silicone
Silicone free
Compliance

Regulatory Status

EU
Permitted
Safety
GOOD
US
Permitted
Absorptionlow
Sensitizationnone
MoSnot established
NOAEL175 mg/kg
ConcernLow
Flags
formaldehyde-freeamino-acid-smoothingendogenousgentledisulfide-modulatorclean-labelprofessional-treatmenteu_children_restrictedfda_food_additivejecfa_safe
Verdict

L-Cysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid that modulates disulfide bond chemistry in hair, used in cysteine-based amino acid smoothing systems as a gentler, formaldehyde-free alternative to traditional keratin treatments and thio relaxers with excellent tolerability and endogenous safety profile.

US Note

Permitted. Used in cysteine-based amino acid smoothing systems as a gentler, formaldehyde-free hair smoothing alternative. Modulates disulfide bonds via amino acid chemistry. No FDA restrictions.

Assessment

Ratings

Comedogenic0/5
LowHigh
Irritancy0/5
LowHigh
Reference

Identifiers

CAS Number
52-90-4
EC Number
200-158-2 / 222-160-2
INCI
CYSTEINE
Category
active
Updated
Apr 2, 2026