Is Caprylyl Pyrrolidone safe in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone
Also known as: 2-Pyrrolidinone, 1-octyl-, N-(N-Octyl)-2-pyrrolidinone, N-Octyl-2-pyrrolidinone, NOctylbutyrolactam, N-n-Octyl-2-pyrrolidone (+4 more)
INCI: CAPRYLYL PYRROLIDONE
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone (CAS 2687-94-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Surfactant, foaming, cleansing, permeation enhancer, antimicrobial. NOAEL 30 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted. 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 2687-94-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone is classified GHS Danger (H314, H318, H411) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Surfactant, foaming, cleansing, permeation enhancer, antimicrobial
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1-octylpyrrolidin-2-one
InChIKey
WPPOGHDFAVQKLN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; no specific restrictions
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 Pyrrolidone.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Caprylyl Pyrrolidone 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
Danger
Pictograms
CorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Skin Corr. 1B; Aquatic Chronic 2
Hazard Statements
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
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
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Plasticizer
Solubility enhancer
Solvent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Wetting agent (non-aqueous)
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Caprylyl Pyrrolidone.
Regulatory Flags
epa_safer_alternative
Known Synonyms
2-Pyrrolidinone, 1-octyl-
N-(N-Octyl)-2-pyrrolidinone
N-Octyl-2-pyrrolidinone
NOctylbutyrolactam
N-n-Octyl-2-pyrrolidone
BRN 1526318
N-Octylpyrrolidinone
1-Octyl-2-pyrrolidinone
N-Octylpyrrolidone
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Solvent
Plasticizer
Wetting agent (non-aqueous)
Solubility enhancer
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
SCIL (9/2019)
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3186828
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caprylyl Pyrrolidone allowed in the EU?
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Caprylyl Pyrrolidone do in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone functions as: Surfactant, foaming, cleansing, permeation enhancer, antimicrobial. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 2687-94-7.
Is Caprylyl Pyrrolidone used outside cosmetics?
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone 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 Caprylyl Pyrrolidone have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Caprylyl Pyrrolidone is classified GHS Danger (H314, H318, H411) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Caprylyl Pyrrolidone 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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