Is Captan safe in cosmetics?
Captan has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
Captan
Also known as: Merpan, 1H-Isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, 3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-2-((trichloromethyl)thio)-, 4-Cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide, N-(trichloromethyl)thio-, 3a,4,7,7a-Tetrahydro-2-[(trichloromethyl)thio]-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, Agrosol S (+15 more)
INCI: CAPTAN
Captan (CAS 133-06-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as N-(Trichloromethylthio)-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide; fungicide/pesticide. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; GHS signal word WARNING; 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 data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 133-06-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Captan is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H317, H318, H331, H351, H400, H303, H315, H340).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
N-(Trichloromethylthio)-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide; fungicide/pesticide
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-(trichloromethylsulfanyl)-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydroisoindole-1,3-dione
InChIKey
LDVVMCZRFWMZSG-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
Not permitted in cosmetics; agricultural pesticide only.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Captan.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
Excl markWarnEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Causes skin and eye irritation May cause an allergic skin reaction Very toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes and skin.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis. Repeated or prolonged contact may cause skin sensitization.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
cir
Verdict: unknown
NOAEL: 12.5 mg/kg/day (not specified)
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
3
Volume
30, Sup 7
Evaluation Year
1987
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Health HazardAcute ToxicityCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Carc. 2; Repr. 2; Acute Tox. 2; STOT RE 1; Eye Dam. 1; Skin Sens. 1A; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H351 Suspected of causing cancer
- H361f
- H330 Fatal if inhaled
- H372 Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
inhalation: ATE = 0.22 mg/L dusts or mists; Skin Sens. 1A; H317: C ≥ 0.001%; M = 10; M = 10
Inserted via ATP: ATP23
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
NESIL
775 µg/cm²
GHS: 1B
Human: positive
Source: HPPT: [28] Jordan Jr WP and King SE (1977): https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0536.1977.tb03582.x
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
2 human repeat insult patch tests aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | - | 0 | 1125 | - | - |
| HRIPT | - | 0 | 775 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 370
(EC) 2009/1223
CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 2()
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.
SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: 370
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (4)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | banned | - | all cosmetics |
| CA | banned | - | - |
| ASEAN | banned | - | All cosmetic products prohibited |
| KR | prohibited | - | - |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (6)
Carcinogen Classification
3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
Captan | Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | Volume 30: (1983) Miscellaneous Pesticides | Volume Sup 7: Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, 1987; 440 pages; ISBN 92-832-1411-0 (out of print)
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Carcinogen Classification
Captan | TR-015: Bioassay of Captan for Possible Carcinogenicity (CASRN 133-06-2) (1977 ) | 07/25/77 | No Evidence | No Evidence | Clear Evidence | Clear Evidence | It is concluded that under the conditions of this bioassay, tumors in the duodenum of B6C3F1 mice were associated with treatment with captan, but there was no convincing evidence that the tumors observed in Osborne-Mendel rats
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Classification of carcinogenicity: 1) evidence in humans: no adequate data; 2) evidence in animals: limited evidence. Overall summary evaluation of carcinogenic risk to humans is Group 3: The agent is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. /From table/ | A3; Confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown relevance to humans.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0120
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Regulatory List Membership (4)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Captan.
Regulatory Flags
endocrine_disruptor
prop65
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_cosing_listed
Known Synonyms
Merpan
1H-Isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, 3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-2-((trichloromethyl)thio)-
4-Cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide, N-(trichloromethyl)thio-
3a,4,7,7a-Tetrahydro-2-[(trichloromethyl)thio]-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione
Agrosol S
Agrox 2-way and 3-way
Bean Seed Protectant
BRN 0023177
Captancapteneet 26,538
Captanex
Caswell No. 159
4-Cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, imide, N(trichloromethylthio)-
EINECS 205-087-0
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 081301
Glyodex 3722
Granox PFM
Gustafson captan 30-DD
Isotox Seed Treater "D"
Isotox Seed Treater "F"
Micro-check 12
Chemical Function
Biocide
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; agricultural; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Captan allowed in the EU?
Captan EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Captan do in cosmetics?
Captan functions as: N-(Trichloromethylthio)-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide; fungicide/pesticide. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 133-06-2.
Is Captan classified as hazardous under GHS?
Captan carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Causes skin and eye irritation May cause an allergic skin reaction Very toxic 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 Captan used outside cosmetics?
Captan also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Captan have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Captan is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H317, H318, H331, H351, H400, H303, H315, H340).
Compliance Tools
Check Captan 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
Related Ingredients
Acrylates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Crosspolymer
Excellent
Same category
Emulsion stabilising, film forming
Adipic Acid
Excellent
Same category
Buffering
Aluminum Magnesium Oxide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, bulking agent, opacifying ...
Ammonium VA/Acrylates Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, binding, film forming, ha...
Ammonium VA/Crotonic Acid Copolymer
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, film forming, hair fixing...
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
Excellent
Same category
Absorbent, emulsion stabilising, film...
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
Dichloro-m-Xylenol
Moderate
Chemical family
Antimicrobial / preservative
Phenethyl Anthranilate
Good
Chemical family
Fragrance ingredient
CAPE ALOE
Good
Browse nearby
Skin Conditioning
Is Captan in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Captan in your formulation.