Is Caprylyl Glycol safe in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Glycol has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Caprylyl Glycol
Also known as: 1,2-Dihydroxyoctane, EINECS 214-254-7, NSC 71546, UNII-00YIU5438U, 1,2-octylene glycol (+3 more)
INCI: CAPRYLYL GLYCOL
Caprylyl Glycol (CAS 1117-86-8) is a cosmetic humectant functioning as Humectant, skin conditioning agent, antimicrobial booster. NOAEL 150 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 and pharmaceutical data.
Function
Humectant, skin conditioning agent, antimicrobial booster
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR reviewed as 1,2-glycol group; safe at reported use concentrations; antimicrobial booster at 0.3-1%
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Caprylyl Glycol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Caprylyl Glycol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Caprylyl Glycol based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
preservative
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.1%
Cross-reactivity Group
none
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: ESSCA; IVDK; NACDG
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Caprylyl Glycol, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
10-18%
Penetration Level
epidermis
Penetration Depth
epidermis
Molecular Weight
146.2 Da
Log P
1.0
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
6-14%
Safety Margin Factor
moderate
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: Cosmetic Science
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
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | permitted_preservative | - | All cosmetics |
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Cream | 0.3–0.8 | 1 | CIR Safety Assessment |
| Serum | 0.3–0.8 | 1 | CIR Safety Assessment |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Antioxidant
Biocide
Deodorizer
Fragrance
Humectant
Preservative
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (3)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Caprylyl Glycol — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
1,2-Dihydroxyoctane
EINECS 214-254-7
NSC 71546
UNII-00YIU5438U
1,2-octylene glycol
octane-1,2-diol
214-254-7
EC No.: 214-254-7
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Preservative
Biocide
Deodorizer
Humectant
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
SCIL (9/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3186864
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caprylyl Glycol allowed in the EU?
Caprylyl Glycol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Caprylyl Glycol do in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Glycol functions as: Humectant, skin conditioning agent, antimicrobial booster. It is classified as a Humectant in our database. CAS number: 1117-86-8.
Is Caprylyl Glycol used outside cosmetics?
Caprylyl Glycol 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Caprylyl Glycol 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
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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