Is BENZALDEHYDE safe in cosmetics?
BENZALDEHYDE has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. This ingredient has been reviewed by CIR Safety Assessment.
BENZALDEHYDE
Also known as: Benzene carboxaldehyde, Bitter almond oil, synthetic, EINECS 202-860-4, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 008601, NCI-C56133 (+14 more)
BENZALDEHYDE (CAS 100-52-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Denaturant, Flavouring, Fragrance, Perfuming. NOAEL 400 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word WARNING. 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.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
BENZALDEHYDE is classified GHS Danger (H302, H319, H332, H336, H227, H315, H317, H320) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Denaturant, Flavouring, Fragrance, Perfuming
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
benzaldehyde
InChIKey
HUMNYLRZRPPJDN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR: S - IJT 25(Suppl. 1):11-27, 2006
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for BENZALDEHYDE.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
FlamFlameExcl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin Toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour, through the skin and by ingestion.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
CIR Safety Assessment
Verdict: unknown
NOAEL: 400 mg/kg (oral)
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for BENZALDEHYDE across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for BENZALDEHYDE based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
fragrance
EU Allergen Listed
yes
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.2%
Cross-reactivity Group
none
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
IFRA Restricted
Source: SCCS Opinion
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEL | =60766.6 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | DOE Protective Action Criteria |
| ADI | <=5 mg/kg | Human | oral | - | WHO/JECFA |
| LD50 | >1250 mg/kg | Rabbit | dermal | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | =1300 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| LEL | =300 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
| LEL | =400 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
| LEL | =400 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
| LEL | =200 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
| LOAEL | =300 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
| NEL | =200 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | chronic | EPA ToxRefDB |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
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 %
7.2%
DPRA Lys %
-1.7%
KeratinoSens IC50
2000 µM
hCLAT CV75
488.4 µg/mL
LLNA EC3
25%
NESIL
590 µg/cm²
LLNA: Weak (1B)
GHS: 1B
Human: positive
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005); DPRA: Gerberick et al. 2007 [DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfm064]; KS: Emter et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2010.03.009]; hCLAT: Nukada et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1016/j.tiv.2012.11.006]; HPPT: [17] Kligman AM (1973): Reports to RIFM, 11 October & 10 December, unpublished.
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
5 human repeat insult patch tests aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | 104 | 6 | 5905 | 591 | - |
| HRIPT | 111 | 0 | 591 | 591 | non-sensitizer |
| HMT | - | 0 | 2592 | - | - |
| HRIPT | - | 0 | 590 | - | - |
| HRIPT | - | 0 | 5900 | - | - |
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)
IFRA Concentration Limits (12 Product Categories)
International Fragrance Association standards per product category. Restriction: Restriction. Effective: 2021-02-10.
| Category | Max % | Category | Max % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Lip products) | 0.4% | 7a (Deodorant – not spray) | 0.8% |
| 2 (Body spray) | 0.12% | 7b (Deodorant spray) | 0.8% |
| 3 (Body cream) | 0.6% | 8 (Face cream) | 0.14% |
| 4 (Fine fragrance) | 2.0% | 9 (Soap) | 2.0% |
| 5a (Body lotion) | 0.5% | 10a (Household – non-spray) | 2.0% |
| 5b (Face cream leave-on) | 0.4% | 10b (Household – spray) | 4.5% |
| 5c (Hand cream) | 0.5% | 11a (Intimate – leave-on) | 0.14% |
| 5d (Baby cream) | 0.14% | 11b (Intimate – rinse) | 0.14% |
| 6 (Mouthwash) | 0.4% | 12 (Not for consumer exposure) | No Restriction% |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
Benzaldehyde | TR-378: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Benzaldehyde (CASRN 100-52-7) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies) (1990 ) | 06/27/89 | No Evidence | No Evidence | Some Evidence | Some Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2-year gavage studies, there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of benzaldehyde for male or female F344/N rats receiving 200 or 400…
Source: NTP Technical Reports
ICSC Safety Card
0102
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
... The test substance is identified as ocular irritant under the conditions of /an/ in vitro assay. | Two animals were dosed with 100 microliter of test substance in the eye and observed for 7 days. The test substance was slightly irritating to the rabbit eye in this test. | A skin irritant.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
22
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
ALMOND OIL, ARTIFICIAL | 2001 | 0-5 mg/kg bw (1996) | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. The 1996 group ADI of 0-5 mg/kg bw for benzoic acid, the benzoate salts (calcium, potassium and sodium), benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate, expressed as benzoic acid equivalents, was maintained at the fifty-seventh meeting (2001). |…
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for BENZALDEHYDE — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
cosing-sourced
eu-permitted
fragrance
needs-enrichment
endocrine_disruptor
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to BENZALDEHYDE by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
6
Lowest NOAEL
200 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
400 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA
Known Synonyms
Benzene carboxaldehyde
Bitter almond oil, synthetic
EINECS 202-860-4
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 008601
NCI-C56133
UNII-TA269SD04T
Artificial bitter almond oil
Artificial essential oil of almond
BEZ
Benzadehyde
Benzanoaldehyde
Benzene carbaldehyde
Benzene methylal
Benzenemethylal
Benzoyl hydride
Benzyaldehyde
Benzylaldehyde
Caswell No. 076
Ethereal oil of bitter almonds
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
No specific technical function
Solvent
Regulatory Lists
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - home office - pens and markers; detected; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; Europe
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Furniture and Furnishings
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Other indirect contact consumer goods
consumer_product; detected
detected; Europe; Personal care - nails - nail polish
detected; Europe; Personal care - nails - nail polish
air; Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; detected; emissions
detected; emissions; Europe; Other indirect contact consumer goods; water
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
BENZALDEHYDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL15972
Max Phase
-1
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
BENZALDEHYDE
ADI
0-5 mg/kg bw (1996) mg/kg bw
Food Category
flavoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BENZALDEHYDE allowed in the EU?
BENZALDEHYDE EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does BENZALDEHYDE do in cosmetics?
BENZALDEHYDE functions as: Denaturant, Flavouring, Fragrance, Perfuming. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 100-52-7.
Is BENZALDEHYDE classified as hazardous under GHS?
BENZALDEHYDE carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin 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 BENZALDEHYDE used outside cosmetics?
BENZALDEHYDE 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 BENZALDEHYDE have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
BENZALDEHYDE is classified GHS Danger (H302, H319, H332, H336, H227, H315, H317, H320) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check BENZALDEHYDE 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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