Is Hexyl Alcohol safe in cosmetics?
Hexyl Alcohol has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 5 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Hexyl Alcohol
Also known as: 4-01-00-01694, BRN 0969167, Caswell No. 482E, EINECS 203-852-3, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079047 (+14 more)
INCI: HEXYL ALCOHOL
Hexyl Alcohol (CAS 111-27-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance ingredient, solvent. Reported NOAEL 1000 mg/kg bw/day in dog (COSMOS_DB); 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 111-27-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Fragrance ingredient, solvent
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
hexan-1-ol
InChIKey
ZSIAUFGUXNUGDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — FDA GRAS (food); no cosmetic-specific restriction under 21 CFR
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Hexyl Alcohol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
5 study endpoints found for Hexyl Alcohol. 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 | 1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | dog | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 1022 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Special Toxicology Study | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =130 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =200 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
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 respiratory tract and skin. The substance is severely irritating to the eyes. If this liquid is swallowed, aspiration into the lungs may result in chemical pneumonitis.
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 and by ingestion.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
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 | 648 | - | - |
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
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
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: 102.2
Log Kow: 1.94
Log Kp: -1.8860566476931633
Log Jmax: -6.13
Source: Roberts_Cheruvu_Mendeley_2022
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
1084
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Liquid causes eye burns and skin irritation. | It is moderately irritating to the skin and severely irritating to the eye. | In a human patch test, 1-hexanol (1% in petrolatum) was neither a skin irritant nor a skin sensitizer. Overexposure to 1-hexanol is likely to lead to irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract and possible ... /CNS depression/.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
91
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
ALCOHOL C-6 | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
HEXYL ALCOHOL | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Defoamer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Plasticizer
Solubility enhancer
Solvent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Hexyl Alcohol.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Hexyl Alcohol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
5
Lowest NOAEL
130 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
1022 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
4-01-00-01694
BRN 0969167
Caswell No. 482E
EINECS 203-852-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079047
FEMA No. 2567
FEMA Number 2567
UNII-6CP2QER8GS
Alcohol(C6)
BHL
C6 alcohol
Caproic alcohol
Epal 6
Exxal 6
Fatty alcohol(C6)
HEX
Hexahydrophenol
Hexalin
Hexan-1-ol
Chemical Function
Solvent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Solubility enhancer
Fragrance
Defoamer
No specific technical function
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Europe
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
IFRA Transparency
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 data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
1-HEXANOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL14085
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hexyl Alcohol allowed in the EU?
Hexyl Alcohol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Hexyl Alcohol do in cosmetics?
Hexyl Alcohol functions as: Fragrance ingredient, solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 111-27-3.
What is the NOAEL for Hexyl Alcohol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Hexyl Alcohol is 1000 mg/kg bw/day based on a Subchronic study via oral route in dog. A total of 5 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Hexyl Alcohol used outside cosmetics?
Hexyl Alcohol 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 Hexyl Alcohol 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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