Is Ethyl Formate safe in cosmetics?
Ethyl Formate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Ethyl Formate
Also known as: Caswell No. 443A, EINECS 203-721-0, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 043102, FEMA No. 2434, FEMA Number 2434 (+9 more)
INCI: ETHYL FORMATE
Ethyl Formate (CAS 109-94-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance ingredient. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word DANGER. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ethyl Formate is classified GHS Danger (H225, H302, H319, H332, H335, H333, H336, H370) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Fragrance ingredient
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
ethyl formate
InChIKey
WBJINCZRORDGAQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — GRAS as a flavoring substance (21 CFR 184.1295); no cosmetic-specific restriction
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ethyl Formate.
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
DANGER
Pictograms
FlamFlameExcl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be harmful if swallowed Causes serious eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure far above the OEL could cause lowering of consciousness.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance defats the skin, which may cause dryness or cracking.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
FlammableHarmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 2; Acute Tox. 4 *; Acute Tox. 4 *; STOT SE 3; Eye Irrit. 2
Hazard Statements
- H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour
- H332 Harmful if inhaled
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
- H335 May cause respiratory irritation
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 2700 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0623
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
... A conc of 330 ppm ethyl formate produced a slight irritation of the eyes and a rapidly increasing nasal irritation. | Ethyl formate vapor at a conc of 330 ppm in air causes irritation of the eyes which subsides only after several hours. | Irritant to mucous membranes (due to liberated formic acid); the vapor of high concn is /a CNS depressant/. | Overexposure may cause irritation of the eyes,…
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
26
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
FORMIC ACID ETHYL ESTER | 1996 | 0-3 mg/kg bw (1979) | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. The group ADI of 0-3 mg/kg bw that was established for formic acid and ethyl formate at the twenty-third meeting (1979) was maintained at the forty-sixth meeting (1996). | TRS 868-JECFA 46/21 | See TRS 868-JECFA 46/64 (1996)
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Ethyl Formate — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Ethyl Formate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
6
Lowest NOAEL
500 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA
Known Synonyms
Caswell No. 443A
EINECS 203-721-0
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 043102
FEMA No. 2434
FEMA Number 2434
Aethylformiat
Ethylester kyseliny mravenci
Mrowczan etylu
UNII-0K3E2L5553
Carboxylic acid oxaethane
Ethyl formic ester
Ethyle (formiate d')
Ethylformiaat
Formic ether
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
ETHOXYCARBONYL GROUP
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL44215
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
ETHYL FORMATE
ADI
0-3 mg/kg bw (1979) mg/kg bw
Food Category
flavoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethyl Formate allowed in the EU?
Ethyl Formate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ethyl Formate do in cosmetics?
Ethyl Formate functions as: Fragrance ingredient. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 109-94-4.
Is Ethyl Formate classified as hazardous under GHS?
Ethyl Formate carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be harmful if swallowed Causes serious eye irritation May cause respiratory irritation. 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 Ethyl Formate used outside cosmetics?
Ethyl Formate also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Ethyl Formate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ethyl Formate is classified GHS Danger (H225, H302, H319, H332, H335, H333, H336, H370) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Ethyl Formate 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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