Is 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate safe in cosmetics?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
Also known as: 2-propenoic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl ester, Acrylic acid 2-hydroxyethyl ester, BRN 0969853, EINECS 212-454-9, Ethylene glycol, acrylate (+3 more)
INCI: HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate (CAS 818-61-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Film forming, primarily used in nail enhancement products (UV/LED gel systems). NOAEL 40 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word DANGER. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 818-61-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate is classified GHS Danger (H302, H310, H311, H314, H317, H318, H400, H412) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Film forming, primarily used in nail enhancement products (UV/LED gel systems)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-hydroxyethyl prop-2-enoate
InChIKey
OMIGHNLMNHATMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted in cosmetics; CIR concluded acrylates copolymers safe when formulated to avoid irritation
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
SkullToxicCancerHealth hazEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Fatal in contact with skin or if inhaled Harmful if swallowed Causes skin irritation Causes serious eye irritation May cause allergic skin reaction May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways Very toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is severely irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. If this liquid is swallowed, aspiration into the lungs may result in chemical pneumonitis.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact may cause skin sensitization. See Notes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour, through the skin and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Acute ToxicityCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 3 *; Skin Corr. 1B; Skin Sens. 1; Aquatic Acute 1
Hazard Statements
- H311 Toxic in contact with skin
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
*; Skin Sens. 1; H317: C ≥ 0.2%
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
DPRA Cys %
96.3%
DPRA Lys %
91.2%
KeratinoSens IC50
207.17 µM
hCLAT CV75
24.4 µg/mL
LLNA EC3
1.48%
NESIL
370 µg/cm²
LLNA: Strong (1A)
GHS: 1A
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005) | Basketter and Scholes (1992); DPRA: Gerberick et al. 2004 [DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfh213] | Nukada et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1016/j.tiv.2012.11.006]; KS: Emter et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2010.03.009]; hCLAT: Ashikaga et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1177/026119291003800403]
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
1723
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
The acute toxicity of the acrylates decreases with increasing molecular weight ... Acute inhalation of higher concentrations may cause marked irritation, salivation, conjunctival irritation, and pronounced pulmonary irritation or edema. ... /Acrylates/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Film former
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate.
Known Synonyms
2-propenoic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl ester
Acrylic acid 2-hydroxyethyl ester
BRN 0969853
EINECS 212-454-9
Ethylene glycol, acrylate
Ethylene glycol, monoacrylate
2-Hydroxyethylester kyseliny akrylove
UNII-25GT92NY0C
Chemical Function
Film former
Regulatory Lists
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1330518
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate allowed in the EU?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate do in cosmetics?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate functions as: Film forming, primarily used in nail enhancement products (UV/LED gel systems). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 818-61-1.
Is 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate classified as hazardous under GHS?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Fatal in contact with skin or if inhaled Harmful if swallowed Causes skin irritation Causes serious eye irritation May cause allergic skin reaction May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways Very toxic to aquatic life. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate used outside cosmetics?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate is classified GHS Danger (H302, H310, H311, H314, H317, H318, H400, H412) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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