Is Benzonitrile safe in cosmetics?
Benzonitrile has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Benzonitrile
Also known as: EINECS 202-855-7, Phenylcyanide, Fenylkyanid, UNII-9V9APP5H5S, C6H5-CN
INCI: BENZONITRILE
Benzonitrile (CAS 100-47-0) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent, denaturant, fragrance ingredient. NOAEL 37.5 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 data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 100-47-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Solvent, denaturant, fragrance ingredient
Safety Rating
POOR
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No specific FDA ban for cosmetics, but acute toxicity profile raises safety concerns under general adulteration provisions
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Benzonitrile.
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, skin and respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the cellular respiration. This may result in cyanosis. The effects may be delayed. Medical observation is indicated.
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 Benzonitrile across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
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 *; Acute Tox. 4 *
Hazard Statements
- H312 Harmful in contact with skin
- 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.
NESIL
1350 µg/cm²
GHS: 1B
Human: positive
Source: HPPT: [11] Epstein WL (1977): Report to RIFM, 4 March and 16 May, unpublished.
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
3 human repeat insult patch tests aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | 112 | 0 | 1417 | 1417 | non-sensitizer |
| HMT | - | 0 | 1350 | - | - |
| HMT | - | 0 | 1350 | - | - |
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
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Benzonitrile.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Benzonitrile by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
15
Lowest NOAEL
37.5 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
300 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA
Known Synonyms
EINECS 202-855-7
Phenylcyanide
Fenylkyanid
UNII-9V9APP5H5S
C6H5-CN
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; Europe
air; Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; detected; emissions; Europe
IFRA Transparency
Europe
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benzonitrile allowed in the EU?
Benzonitrile EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Benzonitrile do in cosmetics?
Benzonitrile functions as: Solvent, denaturant, fragrance ingredient. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 100-47-0.
Is Benzonitrile used outside cosmetics?
Benzonitrile also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Benzonitrile 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
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,3-Bis-(Isocyanatomethyl) Cyclohexane
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer / cross-linking agent used in...
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI)
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer and crosslinker in polymer sy...
1,6-Hexanediamine
Poor
Similar safety
Industrial chemical (nylon monomer); ...
ANISOLE
Good
Chemical family
Perfuming
Anisic Acid
Good
Chemical family
Fragrance, Antimicrobial Preservation...
Anisole (Methoxybenzene)
Excellent
Chemical family
Perfuming
Is Benzonitrile 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 Benzonitrile in your formulation.