Poor Cosmetic Ingredient NOAEL Data GHS Classified SCCS/CIR Reviewed

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Also known as: 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester, Di-n-butylorthophthalate, o-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester, BRN 1914064, N-Butylphthalate (+14 more)

INCI: DIBUTYL PHTHALATE

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) (CAS 84-74-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Plasticizer, film flexibility agent for nail polish. NOAEL 0.666667 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; 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 and pharmaceutical data.

View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 84-74-2 →

Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations

Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H360, H400, H317, H335, H372, H411, H360Df, H370).

Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code

CAS Number

84-74-2

View industrial chemical safety profile →

Function

Plasticizer, film flexibility agent for nail polish

Safety Rating

POOR

Chemistry & Identifiers

Formula

C16H22O4

278.34 g/mol

EC Number

201-557-4

PubChem CID

3026

IUPAC Name

dibutyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate

InChIKey

DOIRQSBPFJWKBE-UHFFFAOYSA-N

ChEBI: CHEBI:34687 UNII: 2286E5R2KE Wikidata: Q415612

Regulatory Status

EU EU Status prohibited

US US Status permitted

US Notes No federal FDA restriction as of 2026. CIR reaffirmations from 1985, 2002, and 2012. Mislabeling documented: 14% of DBP-free products found to contain DBP up to 88,000 ppm. California analysis (2024) found some 3-free polishes with more DBP than conventional products.

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

Safety Data

Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP).

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Toxicological Studies

3 study endpoints found for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP). 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	152 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Subchronic	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	=152 mg/kg bw/day	oral	Rat	subchronic	ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
NOAEL	=385 mg/kg bw/day	oral	Rat	reproduction developmental	ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID

GHS Hazard Classification

Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.

Long-term Exposure Effects

Animal tests show that this substance possibly causes toxicity to human reproduction or development.

Routes of Exposure

The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.

Safety Opinions

Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).

cir Number 3, 1985

Verdict: unknown

Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment

Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.

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
RfD	=0.1 mg/kg-day	Human	oral	-	OW Drinking Water Standards
LOAEC	=1.2 mg/m3	Rat	inhalation	short-term	EU SCOEL
OEL	=0.569222 mg/m3	Human	inhalation	-	EU SCOEL
LEL	=56922.2 mg/m3	Human	inhalation	-	DOE Protective Action Criteria
NOEL	=50 mg/kg-day	Rat	oral	short-term (developmental)	HAWC Project
LC50	>=15680 mg/m3	Rat	inhalation	-	ECHA IUCLID
LD50	=6279 mg/kg	Rat	oral	-	ECHA IUCLID
LOAEL	=20 ppm	Rat	oral	-	ECHA IUCLID
LOAEL	=752 mg/kg-day	Rat	oral	subchronic	ECHA IUCLID
LOAEL	=752 mg/kg-day	Rat	oral	subchronic	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

Health HazardEnvironmental Hazard

Hazard Class and Category

Repr. 1B; Aquatic Acute 1

Hazard Statements

H360Df
H400 Very toxic to aquatic life

Inserted via ATP: CLP00

Sensitization AOP Dashboard

Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.

DPRA Cys %

DPRA Lys %

KeratinoSens IC50

500 µM

LLNA EC3

50%

NESIL

12500 µg/cm²

LLNA: Weak (1B) GHS: 1B

Source: LLNA: Kern et al. (2010); DPRA: Urbisch et al. 2015 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.12.008]; KS: Urbisch et al. 2015 [DOI:10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.12.008]

Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)

Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.

Confirmed Evidence: High (2017)

Health effects: Yes

Affected pathways: Anti-androgenic

Regulatory framework: REACH

Source list: I

Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism

Category: phthalate

Receptor targets: ERα, AR, PPARγ

LOEC: 1 µM

EU status: banned (CMR 1B reproductive toxicant; Annex II)

agonist (ER, PPARγ); antagonist (AR)

Dose-Response Data Points

Endpoint	Target	Value	Direction
toxic_dose	general	10 mg/g µg/g	-
dermal_epidermis	skin	80 ± 65 µg/cm²	-
dermal_dermis_MBP	skin	1.9 ± 0.4 µg/cm²	-
AED	systemic	>10 µg/kg/day (14 cosmetics co-used) µg/kg/day	-
Beta-galactosidase reporter	ER	EC50/IC50: EC50 ~1-10 uM; LOEC: 0.1 uM; NOEC: 0.01 uM mixed	agonist (weak)
Testosterone reduction, E2 alteration	steroidogenesis	EC50/IC50: Effects inconsistent in H295R alone; LOEC: ~10 uM (in vitro, variable); NOEC: 1 uM mixed	modulator (downarrow T in vivo; limited in H295R)

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

Yes (since 28-Oct-2008)

Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)

SVHC reason: Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c)

Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC)

Included: 28-Oct-2008

Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c); Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - environment); Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - human health)

EU CosIng Annex Listing

European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

Annex II — Prohibited

Ref: 675

(EC) 2009/1223

CMR: Reprotoxic Cat. 1B(),Reprotoxic 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: 675

BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics

Brazil: Prohibited

India: Prohibited (GNRAS)

Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (2)

Jurisdiction	Status	Max %	Product Type
AU	banned	-	all
KR	prohibited	-	-

Expanded Dermal Absorption Data

Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.

Aggregated DA Values (2 records across 5 sources)

Type	DA %	Method	Skin Model	SCCS Ref
measured_sccs_opinion	5.0%	-	-	SCCP/1016/06
measured_sccs_opinion	5.0%	-	-	SCCP/1016/06

PubChem Annotations

Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.

Safety (6)

Carcinogen Classification

No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).

Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)

Carcinogen Classification

Di-n-butyl phthalate | TR-600: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Di-n-butyl Phthalate (CASRN 84-74-2) Administered in Feed to Sprague Dawley (Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD) Rats and B6C3F1/N Mice (2021 ) | 04/02/21 | Equivocal Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | No Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2âyear feed studies, there was equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity of di

Source: NTP Technical Reports

Evidence for Carcinogenicity

Cancer Classification: Group D Not Classifiable as to Human Carcinogenicity | CLASSIFICATION: D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: Pertinent data regarding carcinogenicity was not located in the available literature. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Endocrine Disruptors

Potential endocrine disrupting compound

Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange

ICSC Safety Card

0036

Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Function Categories & List Membership

Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories

Deodorizer Fragrance Plasticizer Solvent

Regulatory List Membership (6)

California Proposition 65 (OEHHA) EU Banned in Cosmetics IFRA Fragrance Transparency List FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives Consumer Product Chemical EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database

Expert Verdict

Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP).

Regulatory Flags

toxic_trio eu_prohibited cmr reproductive_toxin endocrine_disruptor detected_breast_milk fetal_exposure mislabeling_risk phthalate prop65 eu_banned_cosmetics ifra_fragrance eu_cosing_listed

NOAEL Studies Summary

View details ->

Public NOAEL study rows linked to Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) by CAS number or substance name.

Studies

Lowest NOAEL

19.9 mg/kg bw/day

Highest NOAEL

500 mg/kg bw/day

COSMOS_DB ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip

Dermal Absorption

View details ->

Absorption %	Method	Vehicle
5.0%	SCCS opinion extraction	-
5.0%	SCCS opinion extraction	-

Known Synonyms

1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester Di-n-butylorthophthalate o-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester BRN 1914064 N-Butylphthalate Caswell No. 292 EINECS 201-557-4 EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 028001 Ersoplast FDA Hatcol DBP Phthalate, dibutyl- Phthalate, di-n-butyl RC Plasticizer DBP RCRA waste number U069 Uniflex DBP Di-n-butylester kyseliny ftalove UNII-2286E5R2KE Benzene-o-dicarboxylic acid di-n-butyl ester Benzenedicarboxylic acid dibutyl ester

Chemical Function

Solvent Plasticizer Deodorizer Fragrance

Regulatory Lists

artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products Construction and building materials; detected; Europe detected; Europe; Other indirect contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Furniture and Furnishings detected; Europe; Other indirect contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Toys and children's products detected; Europe; Toys and children's products detected; Europe; Toys and children's products detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods detected; New Zealand; Toys and children's products detected; Toys and children's products detected; Toys and children's products detected; Toys and children's products detected; Toys and children's products

Australian Status

AICIS status: listed_with_terms

Specific information requirements: Obligations to provide information apply. These obligations are: 1. A person introducing this chemical must tell us in writing within 28 calendar days if any of the following circumstances have occurred in relation to their introduction (importation or manufacture): a. additional information becoming available on the...

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

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE

ChEMBL ID

CHEMBL272485

Max Phase

-1

View full pharmaceutical profile →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) safe in cosmetics?

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted. 3 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.

Is Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) allowed in the EU?

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) do in cosmetics?

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) functions as: Plasticizer, film flexibility agent for nail polish. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 84-74-2.

What is the NOAEL for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)?

The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) is 152 mg/kg bw/day based on a Subchronic study via oral route in rat. A total of 3 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.

Is Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) used outside cosmetics?

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) 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 Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H360, H400, H317, H335, H372, H411, H360Df, H370).

Compliance Tools

Check Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) 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

1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate

Poor Similar safety

Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...

1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene

Poor Similar safety

Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)

1,3-Bis-(Isocyanatomethyl) Cyclohexane

Poor Similar safety

Monomer / cross-linking agent used in...

1,4-Butanediol

Poor Similar safety

Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...

1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI)

Poor Similar safety

Monomer and crosslinker in polymer sy...

1,6-Hexanediamine

Poor Similar safety

Industrial chemical (nylon monomer); ...

ANTHRAQUINONE

Moderate Chemical family

Not Reported

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE

Moderate Chemical family

Fragrance, Perfuming, Plasticiser, So...

DIETHYL PHTHALATE

Good Chemical family

Denaturant, Film Forming, Fragrance, ...

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Poor Chemical family

Plasticizer, film former

DIBROMOCYANOACETAMIDE

Good Browse nearby

Antimicrobial

DICHLOROMETHANE

Moderate Browse nearby

Perfuming, Solvent

DIETHANOLAMINE

Moderate Browse nearby

Buffering

1,3-Bis-(2,4-Diaminophenoxy)Propane

Moderate Same EU status

Oxidative and non-oxidative hair dye ...

1,5-Dimethylbicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-one Oxime

Good Same EU status

Fragrance ingredient

Browse all 30,000+ ingredients A-Z →

Is Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) 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 Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) in your formulation.

Ingredient Decoder MoS Calculator