Is 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol safe in cosmetics?
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol
INCI: 4-CHLORO-2-AMINOPHENOL
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol (CAS 95-85-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair dyeing (hair colorant). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited; GHS signal word WARNING; 1 safety opinion reviewed (cir). Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 95-85-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Hair dyeing (hair colorant)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-amino-4-chlorophenol
InChIKey
SWFNPENEBHAHEB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR Panel found insufficient data to determine safety (2024 reassessment). Coal-tar hair dye exemption technically applies, but CIR could not confirm safety
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol.
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
Excl markWarnCancerHealth haz
Hazard Statements
Harmful if swallowed Causes skin irritation May cause an allergic skin reaction Suspected of causing cancer
Short-term Exposure Effects
Exposure could cause formation of methaemoglobin. The substance is irritating to the skin.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact may cause skin sensitization. This substance is possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and by ingestion.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
cir
October 6, 2025
Verdict: not safe
he Panel issued an amended report with a revised conclusion stating that 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol is unsafe for use as a cosmetic ingredient. INTRODUCTION 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol, which according to the web-based International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook (Dictionary) is reported to func
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2B
Volume
123
Evaluation Year
2018
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
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 1219
(EC) 2009/1223
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 (II - Prohibited)
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| KR | prohibited | - | - |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
2-Amino-4-chlorophenol | Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans | Volume 123: (2020) Some Nitrobenzenes and Other Industrial Chemicals
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
ICSC Safety Card
1652
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Regulatory List Membership (3)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol.
Regulatory Flags
colorant
prop65
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_cosing_listed
Chemical Function
Dye
Regulatory Lists
OEHHA Proposition 65 (1/2023)
banned; Europe; Personal care
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
CHEMBL251389
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol allowed in the EU?
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol do in cosmetics?
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol functions as: Hair dyeing (hair colorant). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 95-85-2.
Is 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol classified as hazardous under GHS?
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Harmful if swallowed Causes skin irritation May cause an allergic skin reaction Suspected of causing cancer. 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 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol used outside cosmetics?
4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol 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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