Is 2-Methylpropanal safe in cosmetics?
2-Methylpropanal has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
2-Methylpropanal
Also known as: Isobutyraldehyde, EINECS 201-149-6, FEMA No. 2220, Isopropyl aldehyde, alpha-Methylpropionaldehyde (+14 more)
INCI: 2-METHYLPROPANAL
2-Methylpropanal (CAS 78-84-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance; Nail Conditioning. NOAEL 50 mg/kg bw/day (PDF-verified 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 78-84-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
2-Methylpropanal is classified GHS Danger (H225, H319, H302, H320, H335, H373, H402, H341) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Fragrance; Nail Conditioning
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methylpropanal
InChIKey
AMIMRNSIRUDHCM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not specifically restricted by FDA; FEMA GRAS
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-Methylpropanal.
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
FlamFlameExcl markWarnCancerHealth haz
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways Harmful to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes. The substance at very high concentrations is irritating to the upper respiratory tract. If swallowed the substance may cause vomiting and could result in aspiration pneumonitis. Medical observation is indicated. The substance may cause effects on nervous system. Exposure could cause lowering of consciousness.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or chronic inhalation of the vapour may cause chronic inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, through the skin and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for 2-Methylpropanal across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
Isobutyraldehyde | TR-472: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Isobutyraldehyde (CASRN 78-84-2) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (1999 ) | 12/12/96 | No Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2-year inhalation studies, there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of isobutyraldehyde in male or female F344/N rats or male
Source: NTP Technical Reports
ICSC Safety Card
0902
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Irritant to skin and eyes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
252
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/37 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/189
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 2-Methylpropanal.
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
Isobutyraldehyde
EINECS 201-149-6
FEMA No. 2220
Isopropyl aldehyde
alpha-Methylpropionaldehyde
NCI-C60968
Propionaldehyde, 2-methyl-
UNII-C42E28168L
2-METHYL-PROPANAL
2-Methyl-Propionaldehyde
2-Methylpropanal (isobutanal)
2-Methylpropanal oxime
Butyric iso aldehyde
FEMA 2220
Iso-C3H7CHO
Isobutaldehyde
Isobutyl aldehy de
Isobutyraldehyde oxime
Isopropyl formaldehyde
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Softener and conditioner
No specific technical function
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
IFRA Transparency
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
consumer_product
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1404017
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE
ADI
No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent mg/kg bw
Food Category
flavoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2-Methylpropanal allowed in the EU?
2-Methylpropanal EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 2-Methylpropanal do in cosmetics?
2-Methylpropanal functions as: Fragrance; Nail Conditioning. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 78-84-2.
Is 2-Methylpropanal classified as hazardous under GHS?
2-Methylpropanal carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways Harmful 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-Methylpropanal used outside cosmetics?
2-Methylpropanal also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does 2-Methylpropanal have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
2-Methylpropanal is classified GHS Danger (H225, H319, H302, H320, H335, H373, H402, H341) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check 2-Methylpropanal 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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