Is Phenylacetic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Phenylacetic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Phenylacetic Acid
Also known as: 4-09-00-01614, Benzylcarboxylic acid, BRN 1099647, EINECS 203-148-6, FEMA No. 2878 (+15 more)
INCI: PHENYLACETIC ACID
Phenylacetic Acid (CAS 103-82-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Perfuming (fragrance ingredient). Reported NOAEL 450 mg/kg bw/day in rat (COSMOS DB); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted; GHS signal word WARNING. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Phenylacetic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H318, H319) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Perfuming (fragrance ingredient)
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-phenylacetic acid
InChIKey
WLJVXDMOQOGPHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
FDA — not specifically restricted in cosmetics; FEMA GRAS as flavoring. DEA List II chemical (precursor monitoring)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Phenylacetic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Phenylacetic Acid. 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 | 450 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS DB |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ECHA |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
WARNING
Hazard Statements
Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation Harmful to aquatic life
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the eyes. The substance is mildly irritating to the skin.
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 | 1296 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
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
1260
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Inhalation: cough, sore throat. Skin: redness. Eyes: redness, pain
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (4)
JECFA Number
1007
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
alpha-TOLUIC ACID | 2002 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 913-JECFA 59/53 | FAS 50-JECFA 59/215
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
PHENYLACETIC ACID | 2002 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 913-JECFA 59/53 | FAS 50-JECFA 59/215
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
BENZYLCARBOXYLIC ACID | 2002 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 913-JECFA 59/53 | FAS 50-JECFA 59/215
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Phenylacetic Acid — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Phenylacetic Acid by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
2
Lowest NOAEL
450 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS DB
ECHA
Known Synonyms
4-09-00-01614
Benzylcarboxylic acid
BRN 1099647
EINECS 203-148-6
FEMA No. 2878
Phenyllacetic acid
Kyselina fenyloctova
UNII-ER5I1W795A
2-Phenylacetate
2-Phenylethanoate
2-Phenylethanoic acid
Benzenacetic acid
Benzeneacetate
Benzylformate
Omega-Phenylacetate
Omega-Phenylacetic acid
PA
Phenylethanoate
a-Toluate
a-Toluic acid
Chemical Function
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
detected; Toys and children's products
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
PHENYLACETIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1044
Max Phase
-1
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
PHENYLACETIC ACID
ADI
No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent mg/kg bw
Food Category
flavoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phenylacetic Acid allowed in the EU?
Phenylacetic Acid EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Phenylacetic Acid do in cosmetics?
Phenylacetic Acid functions as: Perfuming (fragrance ingredient). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 103-82-2.
What is the NOAEL for Phenylacetic Acid?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Phenylacetic Acid is 450 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS DB.
Is Phenylacetic Acid classified as hazardous under GHS?
Phenylacetic Acid carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation Harmful to aquatic life. 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 Phenylacetic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Phenylacetic Acid also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Phenylacetic Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Phenylacetic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H318, H319) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Phenylacetic Acid 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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