Is Butane safe in cosmetics?
Butane has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Butane
Also known as: n-Butane, Butyl hydride, EINECS 203-448-7, Methylethylmethane, Butanen (+7 more)
INCI: BUTANE
Butane (CAS 106-97-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Propellant, viscosity controlling. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max <0.1%. 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 106-97-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Butane is classified GHS Danger (H220, H280, H336, H340, H350) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max <0.1%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Propellant, viscosity controlling
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
butane
InChIKey
IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
<0.1%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Not applicable for gaseous propellant; inhalation exposure assessment required for aerosol products
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Butane.
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.
Short-term Exposure Effects
Rapid evaporation of the liquid may cause frostbite. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000,000 - 10,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 465
(EC) 2009/1223
CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 1A(),Mutagenic Cat. 1B()
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | banned | - | All cosmetic products prohibited |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (3)
Carcinogen Classification
n-Butane is found in gasoline, which is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
ICSC Safety Card
0232
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
n-Butane /did not/... cause respiratory... irritation in rabbits. ...Butane appears to be mildly to moderately irritating to the rabbit skin. | Vapor not irritating to eyes, nose, or throat.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Evaluation
BUTANE | 1979 | NO ADI ALLOCATED | JECFA could not evaluate butane due to lack of data. | TRS 648-JECFA 23/18 | NOT PREPARED
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
EU Food Improvement
Food additives
Source: EU Food Improvement Agents
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
No specific technical function
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Regulatory List Membership (4)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Butane.
Regulatory Flags
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_children_restricted
fda_food_additive
eu_cosing_listed
jecfa_concern
Known Synonyms
n-Butane
Butyl hydride
EINECS 203-448-7
Methylethylmethane
Butanen
UNII-6LV4FOR43R
E 943a
E-943a
E943a
R-600
n-Butan
n-C4H10
Chemical Function
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Regulatory Lists
drinking_water; Europe; manufacturing; plastic_additive
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies - flocking; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies; Europe
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Furniture and Furnishings
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other indirect contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Furniture and Furnishings
air; Construction and building materials; detected; emissions; Europe
consumer_product; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Personal care
Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
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.
Compound
BUTANE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL134702
Max Phase
1
Adverse Event Associations
32
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Butane allowed in the EU?
Butane EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: <0.1%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Butane do in cosmetics?
Butane functions as: Propellant, viscosity controlling. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 106-97-8.
Is Butane used outside cosmetics?
Butane 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 Butane have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Butane is classified GHS Danger (H220, H280, H336, H340, H350) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max <0.1%.
Compliance Tools
Check Butane 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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