Is OCTADECANE safe in cosmetics?
OCTADECANE has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: allowed.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
OCTADECANE
Also known as: n-Octadecane, EINECS 209-790-3, UNII-N102P6HAIU, CH3-[CH2]16-CH3, Oktadekan
OCTADECANE (CAS 593-45-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning - Emollient, Solvent. 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 data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 593-45-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
OCTADECANE is classified GHS Danger (H304) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning - Emollient, Solvent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
octadecane
InChIKey
RZJRJXONCZWCBN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
allowed
US Notes
Allowed — no specific prohibition
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
/Higher alkanes/ may cause eye and skin irritation.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Softener and conditioner
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for OCTADECANE.
Regulatory Flags
cosing-sourced
eu-permitted
skin-conditioning
emollient
fragrance
needs-enrichment
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
n-Octadecane
EINECS 209-790-3
UNII-N102P6HAIU
CH3-[CH2]16-CH3
Oktadekan
Chemical Function
Solvent
Softener and conditioner
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
detected; Other direct contact consumer goods; Other indirect contact consumer goods
IFRA Transparency
Europe
consumer_product
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OCTADECANE allowed in the EU?
OCTADECANE EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does OCTADECANE do in cosmetics?
OCTADECANE functions as: Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning - Emollient, Solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 593-45-3.
Is OCTADECANE used outside cosmetics?
OCTADECANE also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does OCTADECANE have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
OCTADECANE is classified GHS Danger (H304) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check OCTADECANE compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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
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