Is Sodium o-Phenylphenate safe in cosmetics?
Sodium o-Phenylphenate has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Sodium o-Phenylphenate
Also known as: 2-Biphenylol, sodium salt, [1,1'-Biphenyl]-2-ol, sodium salt, o-Phenylphenol, sodium salt, [1,1'-Biphenyl]-2-ol, sodium salt (1:1), Sodium orthophenylphenoxide (+15 more)
INCI: SODIUM O-PHENYLPHENATE (SODIUM 2-BIPHENYLOLATE)
Sodium o-Phenylphenate (CAS 132-27-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Preservative. NOAEL 39 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 0.2%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 132-27-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sodium o-Phenylphenate is classified GHS Danger (H251, H302, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410, H314) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium 2-phenylphenolate
InChIKey
KSQXVLVXUFHGJQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
0.2%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Historically permitted as preservative; EPA-registered biocide; under regulatory scrutiny
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sodium o-Phenylphenate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Sodium o-Phenylphenate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2B
Volume
Sup 7, 73
Evaluation Year
1998
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Harmful / IrritantCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *; STOT SE 3; Skin Irrit. 2; Eye Dam. 1; Aquatic Acute 1
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
- H335 May cause respiratory irritation
- H315 Causes skin irritation
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
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; GROUP
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
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.
JPKR Japan/Korea Cosmetics
Japan (Positive (Preservative)): max 0.15
Japan (Restricted): max Wash-away: 0.15% | Leave-on: 0.15% | Mucosa: Prohibited
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP | restricted | Wash-away: 0.15% | Leave-on: 0.15% | Mucosa: Prohibited | Wash-away: 0.15% | Leave-on: 0.15% | Mucosa: Prohibited |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Carcinogen Classification
Sodium ortho-phenylphenate | Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans | Volume Sup 7: Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity: An Updating of IARC Monographs Volumes 1 to 42, 1987; 440 pages; ISBN 92-832-1411-0 (out of print) | Volume 73: (1999) Some Chemicals that Cause Tumours of the Kidney or Urinary Bladder in Rodents and Some Other Substances
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
SODIUM o-PHENYLPHENOL | 1964 | 0-0.2 mg/kg bw | Conditional ADI, 0.2-1.0 mg/kg bw. In 1999 JMPR allocated an ADI of 0-0.4 mg/kg bw for 2-phenylphenol; an ADI was not established for the sodium salt because it rapidly dissociates to 2-phenylphenol (FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 153, Rome, 1999) | NMRS 38/TRS 309-JECFA 8/25 | FAS 24.65/NMRS 38A-JECFA 8/48
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Catalyst
Preservative
Regulatory List Membership (2)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium o-Phenylphenate.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
prop65
Known Synonyms
2-Biphenylol, sodium salt
[1,1'-Biphenyl]-2-ol, sodium salt
o-Phenylphenol, sodium salt
[1,1'-Biphenyl]-2-ol, sodium salt (1:1)
Sodium orthophenylphenoxide
Bactrol
2-Biphenylol sodium salt
Caswell No. 787
Dowicide
Dowicide A & A flakes
Dowicide A Flakes
Dowizid A
EINECS 205-055-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 064104
2-Hydroxybiphenyl sodium salt
2-Hydroxydiphenyl sodium
2-Hydroxydiphenyl, sodium salt
Mil-Du-Rid
Mystox WFA
Natriphene
Chemical Function
Biocide
Preservative
Catalyst
Regulatory Lists
OEHHA Proposition 65 (3/2019)
OEHHA Proposition 65 (1/2023)
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in food safety data.
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Sodium orthophenyl phenol
E Number
E232
ADI
0.2 mg/kg bw
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium o-Phenylphenate allowed in the EU?
Sodium o-Phenylphenate EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.2%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium o-Phenylphenate do in cosmetics?
Sodium o-Phenylphenate functions as: Preservative. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 132-27-4.
Is Sodium o-Phenylphenate used outside cosmetics?
Sodium o-Phenylphenate also appears in industrial chemical safety and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Sodium o-Phenylphenate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sodium o-Phenylphenate is classified GHS Danger (H251, H302, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410, H314) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Compliance Tools
Check Sodium o-Phenylphenate 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
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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