Is Caprylic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Caprylic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 3 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Caprylic Acid
Also known as: 4-02-00-00982, BRN 1747180, EINECS 204-677-5, Enantic acid, FEMA No. 2799 (+14 more)
INCI: CAPRYLIC ACID
Caprylic Acid (CAS 124-07-2) is a cosmetic emollient functioning as Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C8:0). Functions as emollient,. NOAEL 20.8333 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 124-07-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Caprylic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H302, H311, H314, H318, H412, H402) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C8:0). Functions as emollient, skin-conditioning agent, and antimicrobial agent. Antimicrobial activity via destabilization of microbial cell membranes. Component of coconut and palm kernel oil; present in trace amounts in human sebum.
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
octanoic acid
InChIKey
WWZKQHOCKIZLMA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Medium-chain saturated fatty acid. Better tolerated at equivalent concentrations than long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. Irritation potential is concentration-dependent.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Caprylic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
3 study endpoints found for Caprylic Acid. 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 | 1125 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =2700 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Caprylic Acid 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
Danger
Pictograms
Corrosive
Hazard Class and Category
Skin Corr. 1C; Aquatic Chronic 3
Hazard Statements
- H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
- H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Inserted via ATP: ATP07
Sensitization AOP Dashboard
Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.
DPRA Cys %
0.45%
DPRA Lys %
1.35%
KeratinoSens IC50
2000 µM
hCLAT CV75
359 µg/mL
LLNA EC3
50%
NESIL
675 µg/cm²
LLNA: Weak (1B)
GHS: 1B
Human: positive
Source: LLNA: Gerberick et al. (2005); DPRA: Nukada et al. 2013 [DOI:10.1016/j.tiv.2012.11.006] | Gerberick et al. 2007 [DOI:10.1093/toxsci/kfm064]; KS: Emter et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2010.03.009]; hCLAT: Ashikaga et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1177/026119291003800403]; HPPT: [330] Kligman AM (1977): Report to RIFM, 9 May, unpublished.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 675 | - | - |
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
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
Additional Ingredient Properties
4 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
comedogenicity_detail
{"comedogenicity_rating": "1", "irritancy_rating": "1", "skin_type_suitability": "oily,combination,acne-prone", "acne_safe": "yes", "source": "Medium-chain FA"}
deodorant
{"cas_number": "124-07-2", "ingredient_class": "antimicrobial_deodorant", "mechanism_of_action": "bacterial_growth_inhibition", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "6-10", "odor_reduction_pct": "30-50", "bacteriostatic": "yes", "bactericidal": "yes", "target_bacteria": "limited", "microbiome_impact": "selective", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies by …
solubility_hlb
{"water_soluble": "partial", "oil_soluble": "yes", "hlb_required": "10.0", "soluble_in": "oils, ethanol, water", "insoluble_in": "glycerin", "log_p": "2.8", "melting_point_c": "16-17", "appearance": "clear liquid", "source": "BASF"}
uv_stability
{"uv_stable": "yes", "uv_degradation_rate": "stable", "photosensitizer": "no", "phototoxic": "no", "photoallergic": "no", "requires_uv_protection_packaging": "no", "color_change_uv": "no", "odor_change_uv": "no", "efficacy_loss_uv_pct": "0", "spf_contribution": "no", "uva_protection": "no", "uvb_protection": "no", "photostable_sunscreen": "no", "boost_spf_of_others": "no", "antioxidant_under_uv": …
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Daily application of 7.2% octanoic acid in propanol under cover to the skin of 10 volunteers caused redness in 4 subjects after 2 days and in 8 after 6 days. | n-Octanoic acid and its sodium and potassium salts caused skin irritation in man and the acid was an eye irritant in rabbits.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (3)
JECFA Number
99
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
CAPRYLIC ACID | 2016 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | Small residues of octanoic acid on food (which has been treated with antimicrobial washing solutions) at the time of consumption would not pose a safety concern | ">TRS 1000-JECFA 82/84 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147 (1997)
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
OCTANOIC ACID | 2016 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | Small residues of octanoic acid on food (which has been treated with antimicrobial washing solutions) at the time of consumption would not pose a safety concern | ">TRS 1000-JECFA 82/84 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147 (1997)
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Cleaning agent
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
No specific technical function
Plasticizer
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Regulatory List Membership (5)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Consumer Product Chemical
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Caprylic Acid.
Regulatory Flags
antimicrobial
free-fatty-acid-form
use-esterified-preferred
endocrine_disruptor
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Caprylic Acid by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
3
Lowest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
2700 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
4-02-00-00982
BRN 1747180
EINECS 204-677-5
Enantic acid
FEMA No. 2799
Hexacid 898
Octic acid
Octylic acid
Kyselina kaprylova
UNII-OBL58JN025
1-Heptanecarboxylate
8:0
Acidum octanocium
C8:0
CH3-[CH2]6-COOH
Caprylate
Emery 657
Kaprylsaeure
Lunac 8-95
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Fragrance
Cleaning agent
No specific technical function
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
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
OCTANOIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL324846
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
664
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caprylic Acid allowed in the EU?
Caprylic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Caprylic Acid do in cosmetics?
Caprylic Acid functions as: Saturated medium-chain free fatty acid (C8:0). Functions as emollient, skin-conditioning agent, and antimicrobial agent. Antimicrobial activity via destabilization of microbial cell membranes. Component of coconut and palm kernel oil; present in trace amounts in human sebum.. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 124-07-2.
What is the NOAEL for Caprylic Acid?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Caprylic Acid is 1125 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in rat. A total of 3 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Caprylic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Caprylic Acid 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 Caprylic Acid have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Caprylic Acid is classified GHS Danger (H302, H311, H314, H318, H412, H402) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Caprylic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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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