Is Butyl Formate safe in cosmetics?
Butyl Formate has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Butyl Formate
Also known as: 4-02-00-00028, BRN 1742108, n-Butyl formate, Butyl methanoate, n-Butyl methanoate (+9 more)
INCI: BUTYL FORMATE
Butyl Formate (CAS 592-84-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent, fragrance. 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 592-84-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Butyl Formate is classified GHS Danger (H225, H319, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Solvent, fragrance
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
butyl formate
InChIKey
NMJJFJNHVMGPGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Insufficient data — no cosmetic-specific MoS published
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Butyl Formate.
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 markWarn
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The vapour is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure far above the OEL could cause lowering of consciousness.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance defats the skin, which may cause dryness or cracking.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and by ingestion.
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
0402
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
118
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
BUTYL FORMATE | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/52 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/297
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 Butyl Formate.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
Known Synonyms
4-02-00-00028
BRN 1742108
n-Butyl formate
Butyl methanoate
n-Butyl methanoate
EINECS 209-772-5
FEMA No. 2196
NSC 6969
Butylester kyseliny mravenci
UNII-0Y9MZ7VM9P
FEMA 2916
Formic acid butyl ester
HCOO(CH2)3CH3
N-Butyl formate [UN1128] [Flammable liquid]
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
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.
Compound
BUTYL FORMATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL2270394
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Butyl Formate allowed in the EU?
Butyl Formate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Butyl Formate do in cosmetics?
Butyl Formate functions as: Solvent, fragrance. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 592-84-7.
Is Butyl Formate classified as hazardous under GHS?
Butyl Formate carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be harmful if swallowed Causes eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation. 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 Butyl Formate used outside cosmetics?
Butyl Formate 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 Butyl Formate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Butyl Formate is classified GHS Danger (H225, H319, H335) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Butyl Formate 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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