Is Tetrabromophenol Blue safe in cosmetics?
Tetrabromophenol Blue has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Tetrabromophenol Blue
Also known as: EINECS 224-622-9, NSC 11236, 3',3'',5',5''-Tetrabromophenol-4,5,6,7-tetrabromosulfonephthalein, Tetrabromphenol tetrabromsulfonphthalein
INCI: TETRABROMOPHENOL BLUE
Tetrabromophenol Blue (CAS 4430-25-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair colorant – used in oxidative and non-oxidative hair dye formulations. Reported NOAEL =3 mg/kg bw/day in rat (SCCNFP Opinion); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.2%. 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 4430-25-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Tetrabromophenol Blue is classified GHS Danger (H318, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status/eu max; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Hair colorant – used in oxidative and non-oxidative hair dye formulations
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2,6-dibromo-4-[4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-3-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1-dioxo-2,1lambda6-benzoxathiol-3-yl]phenol
InChIKey
QPMIVFWZGPTDPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.2%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted as coal tar hair dye (FD\&C Act exemption with caution labeling); CIR Panel concluded safe at current practices of use
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Tetrabromophenol Blue.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for Tetrabromophenol Blue. 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 | =3 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =3 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =3 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =3 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =5 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | NOAEL study | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =5 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | NOAEL study | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =5 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | NOAEL study | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =5 mg/kg bw/day | - | - | NOAEL study | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg bw/day | dermal | - | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg bw/day | dermal | - | repeated dose toxicity | SCCNFP Opinion |
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.
SA Saudi SFDA (III - Restricted)
Product type: (a) Hair dye substance in oxidative hair dye products (b) Hair dye substance in non-oxidative hair dye products. Max: (b) As from 3 June 2021: 0,2 %.
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Restricted · max (b) As from 3 June 2021: 0,2 %
Expanded Dermal Absorption Data
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
Aggregated DA Values (1 records across 5 sources)
| Type | DA % | Method | Skin Model | SCCS Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| measured_sccs_opinion | 1.2% | - | - | SCCS/1426/11 |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Tetrabromophenol Blue.
Regulatory Flags
colorant
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Tetrabromophenol Blue by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
96
Lowest NOAEL
0.00039
Highest NOAEL
100
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw, mg/kg bw/d, mg/kg bw/day
SCCS Opinion
SCCNFP Opinion
Dermal Absorption
View details ->| Absorption % | Method | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2% | SCCS PDF direct extraction | - |
Known Synonyms
EINECS 224-622-9
NSC 11236
3',3'',5',5''-Tetrabromophenol-4,5,6,7-tetrabromosulfonephthalein
Tetrabromphenol tetrabromsulfonphthalein
Chemical Function
Dye
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tetrabromophenol Blue allowed in the EU?
Tetrabromophenol Blue EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.2%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Tetrabromophenol Blue do in cosmetics?
Tetrabromophenol Blue functions as: Hair colorant – used in oxidative and non-oxidative hair dye formulations. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 4430-25-5.
What is the NOAEL for Tetrabromophenol Blue?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Tetrabromophenol Blue is =3 mg/kg bw/day based on a repeated dose toxicity study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: SCCNFP Opinion.
Is Tetrabromophenol Blue used outside cosmetics?
Tetrabromophenol Blue also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Tetrabromophenol Blue have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Tetrabromophenol Blue is classified GHS Danger (H318, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Compliance Tools
Check Tetrabromophenol Blue 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
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