Is 2-Methylnaphthalene safe in cosmetics?
2-Methylnaphthalene has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited.
2-Methylnaphthalene
Also known as: EINECS 202-078-3, beta-Methylnaphthalene, Naphthalene, beta-methyl-, UNII-S8MCX3C16H
INCI: 2-METHYLNAPHTHALENE
2-Methylnaphthalene (CAS 91-57-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance ingredient; solvent (rarely used directly in cosmetics). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
2-Methylnaphthalene is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H411, H319, H335, H336, H373, H401, H315).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Fragrance ingredient; solvent (rarely used directly in cosmetics)
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methylnaphthalene
InChIKey
QIMMUPPBPVKWKM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
EPA has conducted a full toxicological review — classified with some concern; not specifically prohibited by FDA for cosmetics but subject to impurity limits
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-Methylnaphthalene.
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.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged inhalation may cause effects on the lungs.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Intermediate
Tonnage Band
Intermediate use only
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
Not directly listed by IARC. 2-Methylnaphthalene is found in coal tar mixtures, and occupational exposures during coal-tar distillation and during paving and roofing with coal-tar pitch are classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
A4; Not classifiable as a human carcinogen.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
1276
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
... Skin irritant ... /Methylated naphthalene/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Consumer Product Chemical
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for 2-Methylnaphthalene — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
EINECS 202-078-3
beta-Methylnaphthalene
Naphthalene, beta-methyl-
UNII-S8MCX3C16H
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; Europe
Raw materials
detected; Toys and children's products
detected; Toys and children's products
detected; drinking_water; MN Chemical Screening
detected; drinking_water; MN Chemical Screening
detected; ground_water; MN Chemical Screening
IFRA Transparency
detected; drinking_water; MN Chemical Screening
detected; drinking_water; MN Chemical Screening
detected; drinking_water; MN Chemical Screening
Europe
consumer_product
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
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
CHEMBL195895
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2-Methylnaphthalene allowed in the EU?
2-Methylnaphthalene EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 2-Methylnaphthalene do in cosmetics?
2-Methylnaphthalene functions as: Fragrance ingredient; solvent (rarely used directly in cosmetics). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 91-57-6.
Is 2-Methylnaphthalene used outside cosmetics?
2-Methylnaphthalene 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-Methylnaphthalene have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
2-Methylnaphthalene is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H411, H319, H335, H336, H373, H401, H315).
Compliance Tools
Check 2-Methylnaphthalene compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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