Is Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether safe in cosmetics?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether
Also known as: Propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, BRN 1734501, UNII-03077MV85B, Propylene glycol mono-t-buthyl ether
INCI: PROPYLENE GLYCOL T-BUTYL ETHER
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether (CAS 57018-52-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent, Fragrance. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 57018-52-7 →
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether is classified GHS Danger (H226, H318, H319, H336, H351, H373) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Solvent, Fragrance
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1-[(2-methylpropan-2-yl)oxy]propan-2-ol
InChIKey
GQCZPFJGIXHZMB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR: Assessed within butyl polyoxyalkylene ethers group — safe when formulated to be non-irritating
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether.
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
WARNING
Pictograms
FlamFlameExcl markWarn
Hazard Statements
Flammable liquid and vapour Causes serious eye irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is severely irritating to the eyes.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2B
Volume
88, 119
Evaluation Year
2017
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
FlammableCorrosive
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 3; Eye Dam. 1
Hazard Statements
- H226 Flammable liquid and vapour
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
Ceased manufacture
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
1-tert-Butoxypropan-2-ol | Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans | Volume 88: (2006) Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol and 1-tert-Butoxypropan-2-ol | Volume 119: (2019) Some Chemicals That Cause Tumours of the Urinary Tract in Rodents
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Carcinogen Classification
Propylene Glycol mono-Â t-Butyl Ether | TR-515: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Propylene Glycol Mono-t-Butyl Ether (CASRN 57018-52-7) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice and a Toxicology Study of Propylene Glycol Mono-t-Butyl Ether In Male NBR Rats (Inhalation Studies) (2004 ) | 05/22/03 | Equivocal Evidence | No Evidence | Clear Evidence | Clear Evidence | Under the conditions of…
Source: NTP Technical Reports
ICSC Safety Card
1615
Source: WHO/JECFA
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
It is slightly irritating to skin, but pure propylene glycol mono-tert-butyl ether can be severely irritating to eyes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Coalescing agent
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
prop65
Known Synonyms
Propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether
BRN 1734501
UNII-03077MV85B
Propylene glycol mono-t-buthyl ether
Chemical Function
Solvent
Coalescing agent
Regulatory Lists
detected; Europe; Specialty occupational products
OEHHA Proposition 65 (3/2019)
OEHHA Proposition 65 (1/2023)
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1456695
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether allowed in the EU?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether do in cosmetics?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether functions as: Solvent, Fragrance. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 57018-52-7.
Is Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether classified as hazardous under GHS?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Flammable liquid and vapour Causes serious eye irritation. 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 Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether used outside cosmetics?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether 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 Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether is classified GHS Danger (H226, H318, H319, H336, H351, H373) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Propylene Glycol t-Butyl Ether compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
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Heavy Metal Limits
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