Is Ethylbenzene safe in cosmetics?
Ethylbenzene has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: prohibited.
Ethylbenzene
Also known as: 1-Ethylbenzene, EB, EINECS 202-849-4, NCI-C56393, Ethylbenzeen (+3 more)
INCI: ETHYLBENZENE
Ethylbenzene (CAS 100-41-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent / denaturant (typically a residual or fragrance solvent impurity). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 100-41-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ethylbenzene is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H304, H332, H373, H315, H319, H303, H316).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Solvent / denaturant (typically a residual or fragrance solvent impurity)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
ethylbenzene
InChIKey
YNQLUTRBYVCPMQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
prohibited
US Notes
Not specifically prohibited in cosmetics by FDA; IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic); heavily regulated under EPA TSCA
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ethylbenzene.
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 markWarnCancerHealth haz
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if inhaled May be harmful if swallowed Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation Suspected of causing cancer May cause respiratory irritation May cause drowsiness and dizziness May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways Toxic to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. If this liquid is swallowed, aspiration into the lungs may result in chemical pneumonitis. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure above the OEL could cause lowering of consciousness.
Long-term Exposure Effects
This substance is possibly carcinogenic to humans. The substance may have effects on the kidneys and liver. This may result in impaired functions.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2B
Volume
77
Evaluation Year
2000
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
FlammableHarmful / IrritantHealth Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 2; Acute Tox. 4 *; Asp. Tox. 1; STOT RE 2
Hazard Statements
- H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour
- H332 Harmful if inhaled
- H304 May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways
- H373 (hearing organs)
Inserted via ATP: ATP06
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 6480 | - | - |
| HMT | - | 0 | 6480 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000,000 - 10,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (7)
Carcinogen Classification
2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
Ethylbenzene | Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans | Volume 77: (2000) Some Industrial Chemicals
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Carcinogen Classification
Ethylbenzene | TR-466: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Ethylbenzene (CASRN 100-41-4) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies) (1999 ) | 12/11/96 | Clear Evidence | Some Evidence | Some Evidence | Some Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2-year inhalation studies, there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of ethylbenzene in male F344/N rats based on incre
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
CLASSIFICATION: D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: nonclassifiable due to lack of animal bioassays and human studies. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. NTP has plans to initiate bioassay. Metabolism and excretion studies at 3.5, 35 and 350 mg/kg are to be conducted as well. | A3; Confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown rel
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Adhesion/cohesion promoter
Cleaning agent
Degradant/impurity
Fragrance
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Solubility enhancer
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ethylbenzene.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
endocrine_disruptor
prop65
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Ethylbenzene by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
6
Lowest NOAEL
75 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
500 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
1-Ethylbenzene
EB
EINECS 202-849-4
NCI-C56393
Ethylbenzeen
Etilbenzene
Etylobenzen
UNII-L5I45M5G0O
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Solvent
Degradant/impurity
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Cleaning agent
Regulatory Lists
consumer_product; detected; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
fracking; water
Europe; Toys and children's products
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected
air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; emissions; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
CEDI
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
ETHYLBENZENE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL371561
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethylbenzene allowed in the EU?
Ethylbenzene EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ethylbenzene do in cosmetics?
Ethylbenzene functions as: Solvent / denaturant (typically a residual or fragrance solvent impurity). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 100-41-4.
Is Ethylbenzene classified as hazardous under GHS?
Ethylbenzene carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour Harmful if inhaled May be harmful if swallowed Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation Suspected of causing cancer May cause respiratory irritation May cause drowsiness and dizziness May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways 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 Ethylbenzene used outside cosmetics?
Ethylbenzene 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 Ethylbenzene have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ethylbenzene is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H225, H304, H332, H373, H315, H319, H303, H316).
Compliance Tools
Check Ethylbenzene 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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