Poor Cosmetic Ingredient

D-Pulegone

INCI: PULEGONE

CAS Number
89-82-7 (pulegone)
Function
Fragrance and flavor component present in mint/pennyroyal-type oils; characterizing substance in some essential oils
Safety Rating
POOR

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status prohibited
🇺🇸 US Status prohibited
US Notes Pulegone was previously used as a synthetic flavoring and has been removed from the list of approved synthetic flavoring substances in foods for safety reasons. In cosmetics, it is not specifically banned but its hepatotoxicity and carcinogenic potential require rigorous safety justification and very low residual levels when present as an impurity in essential oils.

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
high
Sensitization
moderate

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Hepatotoxic and potentially carcinogenic; regulatory guidance recommends strict limits in herbal and food products containing pulegone/menthofuran. In cosmetics, essential oils rich in pulegone should be carefully controlled or avoided, especially in leave-on or lip products and for pregnant individuals and children.

⚠️
Concern Level: High

Regulatory Flags

essential-oil fragrance-component

Frequently Asked Questions

Is D-Pulegone safe in cosmetics?

Hepatotoxic and potentially carcinogenic; regulatory guidance recommends strict limits in herbal and food products containing pulegone/menthofuran. In cosmetics, essential oils rich in pulegone should be carefully controlled or avoided, especially in leave-on or lip products and for pregnant individuals and children. The EU classifies D-Pulegone as "prohibited". Safety rating: POOR.

Is D-Pulegone allowed in the EU?

D-Pulegone EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does D-Pulegone do in cosmetics?

D-Pulegone functions as: Fragrance and flavor component present in mint/pennyroyal-type oils; characterizing substance in some essential oils. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 89-82-7 (pulegone).

What is the Margin of Safety for D-Pulegone?

adequate The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

Compliance Tools

Check D-Pulegone compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
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Substance Compliance
Check compliance across 55 jurisdictions
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
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Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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