Also known as: 2,6-bis(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-4-methyl-phenol, 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol, 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, p-Cresol, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-, Phenol, 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methyl- (+13 more)
INCI: BHT
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (CAS 128-37-0) is a cosmetic antioxidant functioning as Antioxidant; synthetic chain-breaking free radical scavenger (SET/HAT. Reported NOAEL 3.2 mg/kg bw/day in rabbit (COSMOS_DB); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.001% in mouthwash; 0.1% in toothpaste; 0.8% in all other leave-on and rinse-off products; 1 safety opinion reviewed (cir). 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 128-37-0 →
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Butylated Hydroxytoluene.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
10 study endpoints found for Butylated Hydroxytoluene. 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 | 3.2 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rabbit | Developmental | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 4 mg/kg bw/day | oral | dog | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 6 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Chronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 12.5 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Chronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 34 mg/kg bw/day | oral | chinese hamster | Special Toxicology Study | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 50 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Chronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 58 mg/kg bw/day | oral | mouse | Special Toxicology Study | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 75 mg/kg bw/day | oral | mouse | Carcinogenicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 85 mg/kg bw/day | oral | guinea pig | Short Term Toxicity | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =15 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | NOAEL study | SCCS_vision_codex |
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOAEL | =250 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LOAEL | =750 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =25 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | EFSA |
| LOEL | =100 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =10 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| ADI | <=0.3 mg/kg | Human | oral | - | WHO JECFA ADI |
| NOEL | =1000 mg/kg-day | Mouse | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =900 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =900 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| NOEL | =900 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | ECOTOX |
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Source list: II
antagonist (TR); synergistic anti-AR in mixtures
| Endpoint | Target | Value | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| dermal_absorption | skin | <4% % | - |
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU | restricted | - | antioxidants |
| UK | restricted | - | - |
| ID | restricted | Updated limits (Indonesia PerBPOM 25/2025) | All products |
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
| Type | DA % | Method | Skin Model | SCCS Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| measured_in_vitro | 0.4 | In vitro; OECD TG 428-compliant; flow-through; GLP (Eurofins 2020) | Dermatomed human abdominal skin (350-450 µm), 5 donors | SCCS/1636/21 (2021) |
| measured_sccs_opinion | 0.4% | - | - | SCCS/1636/21 |
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Lotion | 0.01–0.2 | 0.5 | CIR (max 0.5%) |
| Lipstick | 0.01–0.2 | 0.5 | CIR |
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Butylated Hydroxytoluene.
Public NOAEL study rows linked to Butylated Hydroxytoluene by CAS number or substance name.
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg/day
| Absorption % | Method | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4 | In vitro; OECD TG 428-compliant; flow-through; GLP (Eurofins 2020) | Cosmetic formulation |
| 0.4% | SCCS opinion extraction | - |
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.001% in mouthwash; 0.1% in toothpaste; 0.8% in all other leave-on and rinse-off products. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene functions as: Antioxidant; synthetic chain-breaking free radical scavenger (SET/HAT mechanism); product stabiliser against oxidative rancidity in lipid-containing formulations. It is classified as a Antioxidant in our database. CAS number: 128-37-0.
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Butylated Hydroxytoluene is 3.2 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in rabbit. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene 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.
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