Is Dimethyl Phthalate safe in cosmetics?
Dimethyl Phthalate has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Dimethyl Phthalate
Also known as: Caswell No. 380, Dimethyl benzene-o-dicarboxylate, Dimethyl benzeneorthodicarboxylate, EINECS 205-011-6, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 028002 (+4 more)
INCI: DIMETHYL PHTHALATE
Dimethyl Phthalate (CAS 131-11-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent, Fragrance. NOAEL 500 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.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 131-11-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Solvent, Fragrance
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
dimethyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate
InChIKey
NIQCNGHVCWTJSM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not specifically restricted by FDA for cosmetic use. CIR Expert Panel reviewed DMP within its phthalate ester assessment (Int J Toxicol, 2005). Presence in finished products is largely as an unintentional contaminant from plastic packaging rather than intentional addition.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Dimethyl Phthalate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for Dimethyl Phthalate. 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 | =0.000009 mg/kg/d | oral | dog | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.000009 mg/kg/d | oral | dog | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.000009 mg/kg/d | oral | dog | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.000009 mg/kg/d | oral | dog | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00036 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00036 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00036 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00036 mg/kg/d | oral | rat | dermal absorption | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00163 mg/kg/d | dermal | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS_vision_codex |
| NOAEL | =0.00163 mg/kg/d | dermal | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS_vision_codex |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Dimethyl Phthalate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEL | =71479.9 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | DOE Protective Action Criteria |
| LD50 | >12000 mg/kg | Rabbit | dermal | short-term | ECHA IUCLID |
| NOEC | =300 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEC | =15 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEC | >375 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEC | >750 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEC | >365 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOEC | >400 mg/L | Rat | environmental | short-term | ECOTOX |
| NOAEL | =840 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | HPVIS |
| NOAEL | >3570 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | short-term | HPVIS |
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: phthalate
Receptor targets: ERα, AR, PPARγ
LOEC: 10 µM
EU status: allowed
agonist (ER, PPARγ); antagonist (AR)
Dose-Response Data Points
| Endpoint | Target | Value | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| dermal_delivery | skin | 0.8 µg/cm² | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Dermal Absorption Data
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
Roberts Skin Permeation (Mendeley 2022)
MW: 194.18
Log Kow: 1.69
Log Kp: -1.6478210395341824
Log Jmax: -6.258911166777459
Source: Roberts_Cheruvu_Mendeley_2022
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 (5)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
CLASSIFICATION: D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: Pertinent data regarding carcinogenicity data was not located in the available literature. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Inadequate. /Classification based on former EPA guidelines/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
ICSC Safety Card
0261
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Overexposure to hot vapors or mists of dimethyl phthalate may cause irritation of the nasal passages, mouth and throat. Eye contact with liquid dimethyl phthalate causes pain.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Film former
Fragrance
Plasticizer
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Dimethyl Phthalate.
Regulatory Flags
no-eu-restriction
no-us-restriction
sccp-reviewed
phthalate
unintentional-contaminant
phthalate-free-trend
endocrine_disruptor
ifra_fragrance
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Dimethyl Phthalate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
80
Lowest NOAEL
0.000009
Highest NOAEL
2982
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg, mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg/d
SCCS_vision_codex
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
Caswell No. 380
Dimethyl benzene-o-dicarboxylate
Dimethyl benzeneorthodicarboxylate
EINECS 205-011-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 028002
RCRA waste number U102
Dimethylester kyseliny ftalove
Phthalsaeuredimethylester
UNII-08X7F5UDJM
Chemical Function
Solvent
Film former
Plasticizer
Deodorizer
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
Europe; nondetect; Other direct contact consumer goods
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
detected; Europe; Toys and children's products
consumer_product; Europe
consumer_product; Europe
IFRA Transparency
nondetect; Toys and children's products
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Road vehicles
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
Canada; pharmaceutical
detected; Europe; 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
DIMETHYL PHTHALATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL323348
Max Phase
-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dimethyl Phthalate allowed in the EU?
Dimethyl Phthalate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Dimethyl Phthalate do in cosmetics?
Dimethyl Phthalate functions as: Solvent, Fragrance. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 131-11-3.
What is the NOAEL for Dimethyl Phthalate?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Dimethyl Phthalate is =0.000009 mg/kg/d based on a dermal absorption study via oral route in dog. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: SCCS_vision_codex.
Is Dimethyl Phthalate used outside cosmetics?
Dimethyl Phthalate 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 Dimethyl Phthalate 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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