Is Butyl Acetate safe in cosmetics?
Butyl Acetate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Butyl Acetate
Also known as: 4-02-00-00143, BRN 1741921, EINECS 204-658-1, Acetate de butyle, Butylacetaten (+11 more)
INCI: BUTYL ACETATE
Butyl Acetate (CAS 123-86-4) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent primarily in nail lacquers and coatings. NOAEL 125 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against 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 123-86-4 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Butyl Acetate is classified GHS Danger (H226, H336, H225, H320, H331, H371, H316, H332) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Solvent primarily in nail lacquers and coatings
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
butyl acetate
InChIKey
DKPFZGUDAPQIHT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Adequate — Inhalation OEL established (TWA 150 ppm / 713 mg/m³)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Butyl Acetate.
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
The substance is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system. Exposure far above the OEL could cause lowering of consciousness.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance defats the skin, which may cause dryness or cracking.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Butyl Acetate across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
FlammableHarmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Flam. Liq. 3; STOT SE 3
Hazard Statements
- H226 Flammable liquid and vapour
- H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
2 human repeat insult patch tests aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 2700 | - | - |
| HRIPT | - | 0 | - | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nail Polish | 5–20 | 30 | CIR/VCRP |
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
ecotoxicity
{"biodegradable": "yes", "biodegradation_days": "7-14", "bioaccumulative": "no", "aquatic_toxicity_level": "moderate", "coral_reef_safe": "yes", "marine_toxicity": "moderate aquatic toxicity", "freshwater_toxicity": "moderate fish toxicity", "endocrine_disruptor": "no", "persistent_organic_pollutant": "no", "microplastic": "no", "nano_particle": "no", "hawaii_banned": "no", "eu_restricted_environm…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0399
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Skin Exposure: Prolonged or frequently repeated exposures may lead to drying /of skin and irritation of the eye/. Inhalation /exposure produces/ irritation of respiratory passages. | Vapors irritating to eyes and respiratory tract.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
127
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
BUTYL ETHANOATE | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/52 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/297
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Adhesion/cohesion promoter
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Solubility enhancer
Solvent
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 Butyl Acetate.
Regulatory Flags
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
Known Synonyms
4-02-00-00143
BRN 1741921
EINECS 204-658-1
Acetate de butyle
Butylacetaten
Butylester kyseliny octove
Octan n-butylu
UNII-464P5N1905
1-Butanol, acetate
1-Butylacetate
Butylacetat
Butylazetat
CH3COO(CH2)3CH3
Essigsaeure-n-butylester
Essigsaeurebutylester
butyl ester of acetic acid
Chemical Function
Solvent
Deodorizer
No specific technical function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; detected; emissions; Personal care
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; Europe
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
consumer_product; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
Europe; Toys and children's products
Australia; Food and drug - smoking-related products
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
ACETIC ACID BUTYL ESTER
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL284391
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Butyl Acetate allowed in the EU?
Butyl Acetate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Butyl Acetate do in cosmetics?
Butyl Acetate functions as: Solvent primarily in nail lacquers and coatings. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 123-86-4.
Is Butyl Acetate used outside cosmetics?
Butyl Acetate 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 Butyl Acetate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Butyl Acetate is classified GHS Danger (H226, H336, H225, H320, H331, H371, H316, H332) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Butyl Acetate 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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