Is ETHYLHEXANAL safe in cosmetics?
ETHYLHEXANAL has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted.
ETHYLHEXANAL
Also known as: Hexanal, 2-ethyl-, 2-Ethylhexanal, Caproaldehyde, α-ethyl-, 4-01-00-03345, BRN 1700556 (+7 more)
ETHYLHEXANAL (CAS 123-05-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Perfuming. 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 123-05-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
ETHYLHEXANAL is classified GHS CMR hazard (H226, H315, H317, H319, H361) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-ethylhexanal
InChIKey
LGYNIFWIKSEESD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
Not specifically regulated
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes and skin. The vapour is irritating to the respiratory tract.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
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 | 1350 | - | - |
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
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0621
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Skin or eye contact can cause severe irritation or burns. The vapors can irritate the eyes, throat and bronchial tubes ...
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (1)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for ETHYLHEXANAL.
Regulatory Flags
cosing-sourced
eu-permitted
fragrance
needs-enrichment
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
Hexanal, 2-ethyl-
2-Ethylhexanal
Caproaldehyde, α-ethyl-
4-01-00-03345
BRN 1700556
Butyl ethyl acetaldehyde
EINECS 204-596-5
Octyl aldehyde
2-ethylhexan-1-al
alpha-ethylcaproaldehyde
alpha-ethylhexanal
beta-propyl-alpha-ethylacrolein
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
IFRA Transparency
Europe
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1558074
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ETHYLHEXANAL allowed in the EU?
ETHYLHEXANAL EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does ETHYLHEXANAL do in cosmetics?
ETHYLHEXANAL functions as: Perfuming. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 123-05-7.
Is ETHYLHEXANAL used outside cosmetics?
ETHYLHEXANAL 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 ETHYLHEXANAL have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
ETHYLHEXANAL is classified GHS CMR hazard (H226, H315, H317, H319, H361) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check ETHYLHEXANAL compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
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Heavy Metal Limits
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