Is Butyraldehyde safe in cosmetics?
Butyraldehyde has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Butyraldehyde
Also known as: Butanal, 4-01-00-03229, BRN 0506061, EINECS 204-646-6, FEMA Number 2219 (+11 more)
INCI: BUTYRALDEHYDE
Butyraldehyde (CAS 123-72-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance. Reported NOAEL =150 mg/kg bw/day in Mouse (ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; 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 123-72-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Butyraldehyde is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H319, H370, H350, H401, H412).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Fragrance
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
butanal
InChIKey
ZTQSAGDEMFDKMZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Limited data for cosmetic dermal exposure. MoS not formally calculated.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Butyraldehyde.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Butyraldehyde. 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 | =150 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Mouse | subchronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =625 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Mouse | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
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 or in contact with skin Causes serious eye irritation Harmful to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =151.293 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | subchronic | TX TCEQ |
| LOAEL | =345.054 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | chronic | TX TCEQ |
| LOAEL | =345.054 mg/m3 | Dog | inhalation | chronic | TX TCEQ |
| NOAEL | =51.3 ppm | Rat | not specified | subchronic | TX TCEQ |
| NOAEL | =678.311 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | acute | TX TCEQ |
| LEL | =56034.4 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | DOE Protective Action Criteria |
| LC50 | ~49000 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LC50 | ~44600 mg/m3 | Mouse | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LC50 | ~179250 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
| LC50 | >5460 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | - | ECHA IUCLID |
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Flammable
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 2
Hazard Statements
- H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 675 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0403
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Irritating to skin, eyes and respiratory system. | ...Eye or skin contact may cause burns and possible permanent damage. High exposure can cause dizziness and lightheadedness. Higher exposures can cause pulmonary edema, a medical emergency that can be delayed for several hours. This can cause death... Prolonged or repeated skin exposure may cause skin disorders.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
86
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
BUTYL ALDEHYDE | 2023 | Not evaluated | JECFA considered that the use of acetaldehyde (No. 80) as a structural analogue in the safety assessment of flavouring substances would require further evaluation. Furthermore, JECFA concluded that the use of acetaldehyde (No. 80) as a flavouring agent requires re-evaluation. JECFA requests that updated exposure data (including both MSDI and SPET values) be
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
BUTYRALDEHYDE | 2023 | Not evaluated | JECFA considered that the use of acetaldehyde (No. 80) as a structural analogue in the safety assessment of flavouring substances would require further evaluation. Furthermore, JECFA concluded that the use of acetaldehyde (No. 80) as a flavouring agent requires re-evaluation. JECFA requests that updated exposure data (including both MSDI and SPET values) be p
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 (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Butyraldehyde.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Butyraldehyde by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
8
Lowest NOAEL
150 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
625 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Butanal
4-01-00-03229
BRN 0506061
EINECS 204-646-6
FEMA Number 2219
NCI-C56291
UNII-H21352682A
1-Butanal
Aldehyde butyrique
Aldeide butirrica
Butal
Butalyde
Butylaldehyde
N-Butylaldehyde
butan-1-al
n-C3H7CHO
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
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
air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; emissions; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
consumer_product; detected
air; Cleaning products and household care; detected; emissions
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
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
BUTANAL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1478334
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Butyraldehyde allowed in the EU?
Butyraldehyde EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Butyraldehyde do in cosmetics?
Butyraldehyde functions as: Fragrance. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 123-72-8.
What is the NOAEL for Butyraldehyde?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Butyraldehyde is =150 mg/kg bw/day based on a subchronic study via oral route in Mouse. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is Butyraldehyde classified as hazardous under GHS?
Butyraldehyde carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin Causes serious eye irritation Harmful 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 Butyraldehyde used outside cosmetics?
Butyraldehyde 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 Butyraldehyde have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Butyraldehyde is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H319, H370, H350, H401, H412).
Compliance Tools
Check Butyraldehyde compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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
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