Is Trimethylolpropane safe in cosmetics?
Trimethylolpropane has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: restricted. 3 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Trimethylolpropane
Also known as: 4-01-00-02786, BRN 1698309, EINECS 201-074-9, Hexaglycerine, Hexaglycerol (+3 more)
INCI: TRIMETHYLOLPROPANE
Trimethylolpropane (CAS 77-99-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Humectant, Solvent. Reported NOAEL =200 mg/kg bw/day in Rat (ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID); 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 77-99-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Trimethylolpropane is classified GHS Danger (H360) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Humectant, Solvent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol
InChIKey
ZJCCRDAZUWHFQH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
Permitted for cosmetic use; not specifically restricted
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Trimethylolpropane.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
3 study endpoints found for Trimethylolpropane. 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 | =200 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =450 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rabbit | developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =800 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
May cause mechanical irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
0366
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Chemical reaction regulator
Heat stabilizer
Humectant
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Trimethylolpropane.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Trimethylolpropane by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
3
Lowest NOAEL
200 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
800 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
4-01-00-02786
BRN 1698309
EINECS 201-074-9
Hexaglycerine
Hexaglycerol
Methanol, (propanetriyl)tris-
Tri(hydroxymethyl)propane
UNII-090GDF4HBD
Chemical Function
Solvent
Humectant
Heat stabilizer
Regulatory Lists
artificial_saliva; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
Europe; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
CEDI
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
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
CHEMBL3185136
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trimethylolpropane allowed in the EU?
Trimethylolpropane EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Trimethylolpropane do in cosmetics?
Trimethylolpropane functions as: Humectant, Solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 77-99-6.
What is the NOAEL for Trimethylolpropane?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Trimethylolpropane is =200 mg/kg bw/day based on a reproduction developmental study via oral route in Rat. A total of 3 study endpoints are available. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is Trimethylolpropane used outside cosmetics?
Trimethylolpropane 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 Trimethylolpropane have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Trimethylolpropane is classified GHS Danger (H360) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Trimethylolpropane 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
Related Ingredients
Alanyl Glutamine
Excellent
Same category
Skin conditioning, humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
Excellent
Same category
Humectant, skin conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
Excellent
Same category
Skin conditioning, humectant
Alpha-Glucan
Excellent
Same category
Skin Conditioning, Film Forming, Hume...
Ammonium Hydrolyzed Collagen
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic; film forming; hair condit...
Arabinose
Excellent
Same category
Humectant / Moisturizing agent; promo...
(AGARICUS BLAZEI FERMENT + GANODERMA LUCIDUM FERMENT + GANODERMA MULTIPILEUM FERMENT) EXTRACT
Good
Similar safety
Anti-sebum, Antioxidant, Skin Protecting
(ANGELICA ACUTILOBA/PAEONIA LACTIFLORA/REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA) ROOT/CNIDIUM OFFICINALE RHIZOME EXTRACT
Good
Similar safety
Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning ...
(ANGELICA ACUTILOBA/PAEONIA LACTIFLORA/REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA/SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS) ROOT/(CNIDIUM OFFICINALE/COPTIS CHINENSIS) RHIZOME/GARDENIA JASMINOIDES FRUIT/PHELLODENDRON CHINENSE BARK EXTRACT
Good
Similar safety
(ANGELICA GIGAS/GLYCYRRHIZA URALENSIS/REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA ROOT)/ANGELICA GIGAS STEM/CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS FLOWER/(CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS/PRUNUS PERSICA SEED)PORIA COCOS WATER
Good
Similar safety
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Pr...
(ANGELICA KEISKEI/CHRYSANTHEMUM ZAWADSKII) LEAF/STEM/CINNAMOMUM CASSIA BARK/TRICHOSANTES KIRILOWII FRUIT/ULMUS DAVIDIANA BARK/ROOT/(PAEONIA JAPONICA/BUPLEURUM FALCATUM/POLYGALA TENUIFOLIA ROOT)/VISCUS ALBUM STEM EXTRACT
Good
Similar safety
Anti-seborrheic, Anti-sebum, Antioxid...
(APPLE/CITRUS JUNOS/LENTIL/PEAR/PUMPKIN/STRAWBERRY/TOMATO FRUIT)/CORN KERNEL/(ARCTIUM LAPPA/BRASSICA OLERACEA ACEPHALA/CABBAGE/CAMELLIA SINENSIS/MORINGA OLEIFERA/RADISH/SPINACH LEAF)/(SORGHUM BICOLOR LEAF/STEM)/OAT MEAL/POTATO PULP/(CARROT/NELUMBO NUCIFERA/RADISH/WILD YAM ROOT)/(AMARANTHUS HYPOCHONDRIACUS/CASHEW/CICER ARIETINUM/COIX LACRYMA-JOBI MA-YUEN /MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA/PHASEOLUS ANGULARIS/PISTACIA VERA/RHYNCHOSIA NULUBILIS/RICE/SESAME/SETARIA ITALICA/SOYBEAN/SWEET ALMOND/WHEAT SEED)/HORDEUM VULGARE SPROUT/CYPERUS ESCULENTUS TUBER/ARTEMISIA PRINCEPS/BROCCOLI/CHENOPODIUM QUINOA/ENTEROMORPHA COMPRESSA/HORDEUM VULGARE/IPOMOEA BATATAS/LAMINARIA JAPONICA/LENTINUS EDODES/PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS/PORPHYRA TENERA/UNDARIA PINNATIFIDA EXTRACT
Good
Similar safety
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tributyl Citrate
Good
Chemical family
Plasticizer; solvent; film-former
Acetyl Triethyl Citrate
Excellent
Chemical family
Film Forming, Plasticiser, Masking, P...
Beta-Santalol
Moderate
Chemical family
Fragrance
Is Trimethylolpropane in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Trimethylolpropane in your formulation.