Is 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol safe in cosmetics?
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: restricted. 1 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol
Also known as: Phenol, 2,3,6-trimethyl-, EINECS 219-330-3, 3-Hydroxypseudocumene, 1-Hydroxy-2,3,6-trimethylbenzene, NSC 91509 (+1 more)
INCI: 2,3,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol (CAS 2416-94-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance. NOAEL 100 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. 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 2416-94-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol is classified GHS Danger (H314, H315, H317, H318, H302, H319, H371, H373) 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
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2,3,6-trimethylphenol
InChIKey
QQOMQLYQAXGHSU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
Fragrance ingredient; not specifically restricted
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
1 study endpoint found for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =100 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol 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
Intermediate
Tonnage Band
Intermediate use only
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
737
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
2,3,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
3-HYDROXYPSEUDOCUMENE | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
4
Lowest NOAEL
100 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
100 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Phenol, 2,3,6-trimethyl-
EINECS 219-330-3
3-Hydroxypseudocumene
1-Hydroxy-2,3,6-trimethylbenzene
NSC 91509
UNII-05WKL2L5LJ
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
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
CHEMBL3182738
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol allowed in the EU?
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol do in cosmetics?
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol functions as: Fragrance. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 2416-94-6.
What is the NOAEL for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol is =100 mg/kg bw/day based on a short-term study via oral route in Rat. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol used outside cosmetics?
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol 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 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
2,3,6-Trimethylphenol is classified GHS Danger (H314, H315, H317, H318, H302, H319, H371, H373) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol 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
Related Ingredients
2,6-Dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol (Dihydromyrcenol)
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance (perfuming), masking
2-Ethoxy-2,6,6-Trimethyl-9-Methylenebicyclo[3.3.1]Nonane (Boisiris™)
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance (rich woody, orris/iris roo...
3,6-Dimethyl-3-Octyl Acetate
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance / Perfuming agent with flor...
3-Methyl-5-(2,2,3-Trimethyl-3-Cyclopentenyl)Pent-4-En-2-Ol (Sandalore)
Excellent
Same category
Perfuming / Fragrance (sandalwood note)
4-Tert-Butylcyclohexyl Acetate
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance
Acetoin
Excellent
Same category
Skin conditioning, fragrance
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8-Octahydro-2,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Naphthol
Good
Browse nearby
Fragrance (ambery/woody note)
2,3,6-Trimethylcyclohexylmethyl Acetate
Good
Browse nearby
Fragrance (woody, amber-like aroma)
2,3-Butanediol
Moderate
Browse nearby
Solvent, humectant, skin conditioning...
Is 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol in your formulation.