Enoxolone and your health

Learn about enoxolone, its potential health risks and how to reduce your exposure.

On this page

• About enoxolone
• Safety of enoxolone
• What we're doing to reduce your exposure
• What you can do to reduce your exposure

About enoxolone

Enoxolone is a naturally occurring substance that comes from the licorice plant. It's commonly used as a skin-conditioning agent and may be found in a range of products available to consumers, including:

• cosmetics, such as:
• makeup
• massage products
• toothpastes without fluoride
• deodorant and antiperspirant
• skin and hair care products, including lotions and cleansers
• non-prescription drugs
• natural health products

Enoxolone is also found in some foods, including licorice teas and black licorice candy.

It may also be called glycyrrhetinic acid.

Safety of enoxolone

Under Canada's Chemicals Management Plan, we review and manage the potential risks that chemical substances can pose to people in Canada and the environment. The first stage of the review process is a draft chemical risk assessment. We have completed the draft assessment of enoxolone as part of a group of substances called terpenes and terpenoids.

We're proposing that enoxolone may be harmful to people's health when it's used in certain products that are inhaled or applied to the skin. These include:

• cosmetics, such as:
  • permanent hair dye
  • face and body moisturizers
• natural health products and non-prescription drugs, such as:
  • sunscreen
  • acne therapy cream
  • medicated skin care product
  • pain relief patches (for children 13 years and under)

Certain foods containing enoxolone may also be harmful to people's health. This includes licorice teas or large amounts of licorice candy, when consumed every day or regularly.

Enoxolone may also affect child neurodevelopment.

Those most at risk include:

• children
• people who may become pregnant
• people who are pregnant or breastfeeding

We're also proposing that:

• enoxolone is not harmful to the environment
• exposure to enoxolone from other products available to consumers considered in our assessment does not pose a risk to people's health

What we're doing

Our assessment is not yet final. We're continuing to evaluate the potential risk posed by enoxolone before we publish our final conclusion. This includes:

• tracking new information on exposures or hazards
• asking the public to comment on our draft assessment
• reviewing and using this information to help inform our final assessment

If the proposed findings for this substance are confirmed in the final assessment, we will consider:

• adding enoxolone to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  • this would allow Canada to implement preventive or control actions for the life cycle of the substance, including:
    • research and development
    • manufacture and import
    • sale
    • use
    • storage
    • transport
    • disposal or recycling
• listing enoxolone as a prohibited or restricted ingredient on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
  • this would provide information to manufacturers on the restricted use of enoxolone in certain cosmetics
• listing enoxolone as a restricted ingredient in the Natural Health Products Ingredients Database
  • this would provide information to manufacturers on the restricted use of enoxolone in certain natural health products and non-prescription drugs
• actions to help reduce exposures to enoxolone from licorice teas and black licorice candy

You can provide any comments on our draft assessment and proposed risk management during the 60-day public comment period.

What you can do

You can take steps to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Consume licorice teas and black licorice candy in moderation.

Read product labels and follow all safety warnings and directions:

• labels on cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs must list all ingredients and instructions for use
• enoxolone may also be listed on ingredient labels as:
  • uralenic acid
  • glycyrrhetinic acid
  • 8beta-glycyrrhetinic acid
  • 3beta-hydroxy-11-oxoolean-12-en-30-oic acid
  • olean-12-en-30-oic acid, 3-hydroxy-11-oxo-, (3beta)-
  • olean-12-en-29-oic acid, 3-hydroxy-11-oxo-, (3β,20β)-
  • olean-12-en-29-oic acid, 3-hydroxy-11-oxo-, (3.beta.,20.beta.)-

Follow the manufacturer's directions to dispose of the product safely.

If you're unsure if your product contains enoxolone, contact the manufacturer.

If you're exposed to enoxolone at work, talk to your employer and occupational health and safety (OHS) official about:

• relevant laws
• safe handling and storage practices
• requirements under OHS legislation and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Related links

• Use household chemicals safely
• Measuring your exposure to chemicals
• Canada's systems for addressing chemicals
• Overview of the Chemicals Management Plan

For industry and professionals

• Risk assessment of chemical substances
• Tricyclic sesquiterpenes and triterpenoids substances group – information sheet
• Risk management scope for tricyclic sesquiterpenes and triterpenoids substances group