Is Ethylhexyl Salicylate safe in cosmetics?
Ethylhexyl Salicylate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Also known as: BRN 2730664, EINECS 204-263-4, Ethyl hexyl salicylate, UNII-4X49Y0596W
INCI: ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE
Ethylhexyl Salicylate (CAS 118-60-5) is a cosmetic uv filter / sunscreen functioning as UVB filter; avobenzone photostabilizer; sunscreen active. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 5%. 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 118-60-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
UVB filter; avobenzone photostabilizer; sunscreen active
Safety Rating
GOOD
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
5%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
OTC sunscreen drug active under FDA monograph; also used as photostabilizer for avobenzone; FDA evaluating under CARES Act alongside other organic UV filters
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ethylhexyl Salicylate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | - | 0 | - | - | non-sensitizer |
| HMT | - | 0 | 2592 | - | - |
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Under investigation
Evidence: Limited
(2022)
Health effects: Yes
Affected pathways: Estrogenic
Regulatory framework: REACH/Cosmetics
Source list: II (former)
Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: UV filter
Receptor targets: ERα
LOEC: 10 µM
EU status: allowed (max 5%)
agonist
Dose-Response Data Points
| Endpoint | Target | Value | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERa luciferase reporter | ERa | EC50/IC50: AC50 16.48 uM (above cytotox burst 5.86 uM); LOEC: 17.64 uM (ACC); NOEC: 5 uM mixed | agonist (above cytotoxic burst) |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex VI — Permitted UV Filters
Max: 5%
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.
KR Korea MFDS Annex 2 (Restricted)
Category: UV Filter. Max: 5%.
SA Saudi SFDA (VI - UV Filters)
Max: 0.05.
JPKR Japan/Korea Cosmetics
Japan (Positive (UV Absorber)): max 10.0
Japan (Restricted): max Wash-away: 10% | Leave-on: 10% | Mucosa: 5.0%
Korea (Restricted): max 5%
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Permitted UV Filter · max 0.05
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (5)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP | restricted | Wash-away: 10% | Leave-on: 10% | Mucosa: 5.0% | Wash-away: 10% | Leave-on: 10% | Mucosa: 5.0% |
| CN | permitted_uv_filter | 5 | All cosmetics |
| IN | permitted_uv_filter | 5.0 | sunscreen and other cosmetic products |
| BR | permitted_uv_filter | 5 | Sunscreen products |
| ASEAN | permitted_uv_filter | 5% | - |
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
preservative
{"preservative_class": "Organic acid ester", "antimicrobial_spectrum_bacteria_gp": "Weak", "antimicrobial_spectrum_bacteria_gn": "Weak", "antimicrobial_spectrum_yeast": "Weak", "antimicrobial_spectrum_mold": "Weak", "mic_staph_aureus_ppm": "5000", "mic_e_coli_ppm": "5000", "mic_pseudomonas_ppm": "5000", "mic_candida_albicans_ppm": "5000", "mic_aspergillus_niger_ppm": "5000", "challenge_test_pass_c…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Fragrance
UV stabilizer
Regulatory List Membership (4)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Consumer Product Chemical
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ethylhexyl Salicylate.
Regulatory Flags
sunscreen
uvb-filter
photostabilizer
avobenzone-stabilizer
endocrine-review
otc-drug-us
sccs-review
men-s-sports
ifra_fragrance
eu_cosing_listed
Known Synonyms
BRN 2730664
EINECS 204-263-4
Ethyl hexyl salicylate
UNII-4X49Y0596W
Chemical Function
UV stabilizer
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
IFRA Transparency
consumer_product
Canada; pharmaceutical
Canada; pharmaceutical
Europe; Personal care
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
OCTISALATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1329203
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
100
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethylhexyl Salicylate allowed in the EU?
Ethylhexyl Salicylate EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 5%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ethylhexyl Salicylate do in cosmetics?
Ethylhexyl Salicylate functions as: UVB filter; avobenzone photostabilizer; sunscreen active. It is classified as a UV Filter / Sunscreen in our database. CAS number: 118-60-5.
Is Ethylhexyl Salicylate used outside cosmetics?
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 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 Ethylhexyl Salicylate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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(APPLE/CITRUS JUNOS/LENTIL/PEAR/PUMPKIN/STRAWBERRY/TOMATO FRUIT)/CORN KERNEL/(ARCTIUM LAPPA/BRASSICA OLERACEA ACEPHALA/CABBAGE/CAMELLIA SINENSIS/MORINGA OLEIFERA/RADISH/SPINACH LEAF)/(SORGHUM BICOLOR LEAF/STEM)/OAT MEAL/POTATO PULP/(CARROT/NELUMBO NUCIFERA/RADISH/WILD YAM ROOT)/(AMARANTHUS HYPOCHONDRIACUS/CASHEW/CICER ARIETINUM/COIX LACRYMA-JOBI MA-YUEN /MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA/PHASEOLUS ANGULARIS/PISTACIA VERA/RHYNCHOSIA NULUBILIS/RICE/SESAME/SETARIA ITALICA/SOYBEAN/SWEET ALMOND/WHEAT SEED)/HORDEUM VULGARE SPROUT/CYPERUS ESCULENTUS TUBER/ARTEMISIA PRINCEPS/BROCCOLI/CHENOPODIUM QUINOA/ENTEROMORPHA COMPRESSA/HORDEUM VULGARE/IPOMOEA BATATAS/LAMINARIA JAPONICA/LENTINUS EDODES/PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS/PORPHYRA TENERA/UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA EXTRACT
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Similar safety
Antioxidant
Acetaminosalol
Poor
Chemical family
Biocide; UV stabilizer
Benzyl Salicylate
Moderate
Chemical family
fragrance; UV-absorber
Ethyl Salicylate
Moderate
Chemical family
Fragrance ingredient; denaturant
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