Is Isobutane safe in cosmetics?
Isobutane has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Isobutane
Also known as: 2-Methylpropane, Caswell No. 503A, EINECS 200-857-2, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 097101, UNII-BXR49TP611 (+3 more)
INCI: ISOBUTANE
Isobutane (CAS 75-28-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Propellant for aerosol cosmetics. 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 75-28-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Isobutane is classified GHS Danger (H220, H280, H332, H336, H371, H340, H350) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Propellant for aerosol cosmetics
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methylpropane
InChIKey
NNPPMTNAJDCUHE-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — CIR reviewed and concluded safe for cosmetic use as propellant; 21 CFR does not restrict
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Isobutane.
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.
Short-term Exposure Effects
Rapid evaporation of the liquid may cause frostbite. The substance may cause effects on the cardiovascular system. This may result in impaired functions and respiratory failure. Exposure at high levels could cause death.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
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)
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 464
(EC) 2009/1223
CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 1A(),Mutagenic Cat. 1B()
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.
SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | banned | - | All cosmetic products prohibited |
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
0901
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Studies in rabbits exposed in the eyes to undiluted hairspray containing 22% isobutane showed that irritation of the eye was immediately evident with transient iritis and mild conjunctivitis.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
EU Food Improvement
Food additives
Source: EU Food Improvement Agents
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
No specific technical function
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Regulatory List Membership (4)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Isobutane.
Regulatory Flags
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_children_restricted
fda_food_additive
eu_cosing_listed
Known Synonyms
2-Methylpropane
Caswell No. 503A
EINECS 200-857-2
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 097101
UNII-BXR49TP611
(CH3)2CH-CH3
E943b
R-600a
Chemical Function
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; Europe
consumer_product; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
consumer_product; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies - arts and crafts adhesive; Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
banned; Europe; Personal care
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
ISOBUTANE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL2106398
Max Phase
-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Isobutane allowed in the EU?
Isobutane EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Isobutane do in cosmetics?
Isobutane functions as: Propellant for aerosol cosmetics. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 75-28-5.
Is Isobutane used outside cosmetics?
Isobutane 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 Isobutane have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Isobutane is classified GHS Danger (H220, H280, H332, H336, H371, H340, H350) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Isobutane 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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ACETALDEHYDE
Moderate
Chemical family
Fragrance
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Poor
Chemical family
aerosol propellants
DICHLOROMETHANE
Moderate
Chemical family
Perfuming, Solvent
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