Is 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol safe in cosmetics?
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol
Also known as: BRN 1862340, EINECS 202-252-9, FEMA No. 2671, Homocatechol monomethyl ether, 1-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-methylbenzene (+15 more)
INCI: 2-METHOXY-P-CRESOL
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol (CAS 93-51-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance (perfuming). 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 93-51-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Fragrance (perfuming)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methoxy-4-methylphenol
InChIKey
PETRWTHZSKVLRE-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — RIFM safety assessment completed (cleared at screening level); no FDA prohibition
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
DPRA Cys %
6.8%
DPRA Lys %
7.7%
KeratinoSens IC50
2000 µM
hCLAT CV75
280 µg/mL
LLNA EC3
5.6%
NESIL
1400 µg/cm²
LLNA: Moderate (1B)
GHS: 1B
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005) | Basketter, Poster (RIFM DB#42276); DPRA: Natsch et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1002/jat.2868] | Nukada et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1016/j.tiv.2012.11.006]; KS: Natsch et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1002/jat.2868]; hCLAT: Ashikaga et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1177/026119291003800403]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRIPT | 106 | 0 | 118.1 | 118.1 | non-sensitizer |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Intermediate
Tonnage Band
Intermediate use only
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (6)
JECFA Number
715
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
1-HYDROXY-2-METHOXY-4-METHYLBENZENE | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
2-METHOXY-4-METHYLPHENOL | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
4-METHYLGUAIACOL | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
CREOSOL | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Known Synonyms
BRN 1862340
EINECS 202-252-9
FEMA No. 2671
Homocatechol monomethyl ether
1-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-methylbenzene
2-Methoxy-4-cresol
4-Methyl guaiacol
Cresolum drudum
Rohkcrsol
Kreosol
UNII-W9GW1KZG6N
2-Hydroxy-5-methylanisole
2-Methoxy-4-methyl-Phenol
2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol (4-methylguaiacol)
2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol (creosol)
2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol, 9CI
3-Methoxy-4-methyl-Phenol
4-Methyl-2-methoxyphenol (4-methylguaiacol)
5-Methylguaiacol
FEMA 2671
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; Europe
air; Cleaning products and household care - air freshener; detected; emissions; Europe
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
CHEMBL3182715
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol allowed in the EU?
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol do in cosmetics?
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol functions as: Fragrance (perfuming). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 93-51-6.
Is 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol used outside cosmetics?
2-Methoxy-p-Cresol 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.
Compliance Tools
Check 2-Methoxy-p-Cresol 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
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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