Is 4-Chlororesorcinol safe in cosmetics?
4-Chlororesorcinol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
4-Chlororesorcinol
Also known as: 4-Chlorobenzene-1,3-diol, BRN 2042864, EINECS 202-462-0, UNII-87045U29QJ
INCI: 4-CHLORORESORCINOL
4-Chlororesorcinol (CAS 95-88-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Oxidative hair dyeing (coupler — reacts with primary intermediates to form. NOAEL 70 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited, max 2.5%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
4-Chlororesorcinol is prohibited in EU cosmetics at max 2.5% but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H312, H315, H317, H318, H319, H332, H335).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status/eu max; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Oxidative hair dyeing (coupler — reacts with primary intermediates to form final dye)
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
4-chlorobenzene-1,3-diol
InChIKey
JQVAPEJNIZULEK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
EU Max Conc.
2.5%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR concluded safe as used in hair dye formulations (original 1996, reaffirmed 2011). Use concentration 0.005–2%
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 4-Chlororesorcinol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for 4-Chlororesorcinol. 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 | =0.08 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.08 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.08 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.08 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.106 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.106 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.106 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.106 mg/kg | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =50 mg/kg bw/d | - | human | NOAEL study | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =50 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS Opinion |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for 4-Chlororesorcinol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for 4-Chlororesorcinol based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
dye
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.5%
Cross-reactivity Group
para-amino-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: IVDK; NACDG; ESSCA
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
SA Saudi SFDA (III - Restricted)
Product type: Hair dye substance in oxidative hair dye products.
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Restricted
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (2)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | permitted_hair_dye | 0.5 | Oxidative hair dye products |
| BR | permitted_hair_dye | - | Oxidative hair dye |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for 4-Chlororesorcinol — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
eu_cosing_listed
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to 4-Chlororesorcinol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
24
Lowest NOAEL
0.08
Highest NOAEL
210
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg, mg/kg bw/d, mg/kg/d
SCCS Opinion
Known Synonyms
4-Chlorobenzene-1,3-diol
BRN 2042864
EINECS 202-462-0
UNII-87045U29QJ
Chemical Function
Dye
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care; restricted
Europe; Personal care - hair coloring
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4-Chlororesorcinol allowed in the EU?
4-Chlororesorcinol EU regulatory status: prohibited. Maximum allowed concentration: 2.5%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 4-Chlororesorcinol do in cosmetics?
4-Chlororesorcinol functions as: Oxidative hair dyeing (coupler — reacts with primary intermediates to form final dye). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 95-88-5.
What is the NOAEL for 4-Chlororesorcinol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for 4-Chlororesorcinol is =0.08 mg/kg based on a dermal absorption study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: SCCS Opinion.
Is 4-Chlororesorcinol used outside cosmetics?
4-Chlororesorcinol also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does 4-Chlororesorcinol have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
4-Chlororesorcinol is prohibited in EU cosmetics at max 2.5% but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H312, H315, H317, H318, H319, H332, H335).
Compliance Tools
Check 4-Chlororesorcinol 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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