Is Methylal safe in cosmetics?
Methylal has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Methylal
INCI: METHYLAL
Methylal (CAS 109-87-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.1%; GHS signal word DANGER. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 109-87-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Solvent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
dimethoxymethane
InChIKey
NKDDWNXOKDWJAK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.1%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No specific prohibition as a cosmetic ingredient; formaldehyde-releasing potential may trigger labeling requirements under MoCRA
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Methylal.
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 markWarn
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour Causes eye irritation May cause drowsiness or dizziness
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure far above the OEL could cause unconsciousness.
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 of its vapour.
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
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
1152
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
INHALATION CAUSES IRRITATION OF RESP SYSTEM & DEPRESSION OF CNS. LIQ CAUSES IRRITATION OF EYES & WILL IRRITATE SKIN IF ALLOWED TO REMAIN.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Solvent
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Methylal.
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
Chemical Function
Solvent
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; detected; emissions; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
Europe; Pesticides
detected; Europe; Pesticides
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies - arts and crafts adhesive; Europe
Europe
air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
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
DIMETHOXYMETHANE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL15537
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Methylal allowed in the EU?
Methylal EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.1%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Methylal do in cosmetics?
Methylal functions as: Solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 109-87-5.
Is Methylal classified as hazardous under GHS?
Methylal carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour Causes eye irritation May cause drowsiness or dizziness. 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 Methylal used outside cosmetics?
Methylal also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Methylal 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
Related Ingredients
C10-13 Isoparaffin
Excellent
Same category
Solvent
C9-14 Isoparaffin
Excellent
Same category
Solvent
PPG-10 Butanediol
Excellent
Same category
Solvent
Phosphate Buffered Saline
Excellent
Same category
Solvent, buffering agent
Water
Excellent
Same category
Solvent, vehicle/carrier
1,10-Decanediol
Good
Same category
Solvent
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
5-Hexen-2-One
Moderate
Chemical family
Flavouring and nutrient; Fragrance
Butyl Butyrate
Good
Chemical family
Solvent, masking agent, fragrance ing...
Butyl Isovalerate
Good
Chemical family
Fragrance
Is Methylal in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Methylal in your formulation.