Is Caprylyl Alcohol safe in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Alcohol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Caprylyl Alcohol
Also known as: 1-Hydroxyoctane, n-Caprylic alcohol, Caswell No. 611A, EINECS 203-917-6, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079037 (+15 more)
INCI: CAPRYLYL ALCOHOL
Caprylyl Alcohol (CAS 111-87-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Masking, Perfuming, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling. NOAEL 43.3333 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted. 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 111-87-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Caprylyl Alcohol is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H315, H319, H412, H227, H370, H371) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Masking, Perfuming, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
octan-1-ol
InChIKey
KBPLFHHGFOOTCA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe); also approved as indirect food additive
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Caprylyl Alcohol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Caprylyl Alcohol. 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 | 650 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Developmental | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =130 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
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 is mildly irritating to the skin. If this liquid is swallowed, aspiration into the lungs may result in chemical pneumonitis.
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 and by ingestion.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Caprylyl Alcohol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
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 | 1296 | - | - |
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
Expanded Dermal Absorption Data
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
EPA Dryad Skin Absorption (physics-based)
MW: 130.231
LogP: 2.99985
Kp epidermis: 0.99722 cm/h
Source: EPA_Dryad_Skin_Absorption_2024
Roberts Skin Permeation (Mendeley 2022)
MW: 130.2
Log Kow: 3
Log Kp: -1.2839966563652008
Log Jmax: -6.67
Source: Roberts_Cheruvu_Mendeley_2022
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
1030
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Octanol ... has caused transient injury of corneal epithelium, with recovery in 48 hr.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (4)
JECFA Number
97
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
1-OCTANOL | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
ALCOHOL C-8 | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
OCTYL ALCOHOL | 1997 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 884-JECFA 49/29 | FAS 40-JECFA 49/147
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Lubricating agent
Plasticizer
Solvent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Viscosity modifier
Regulatory List Membership (3)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Caprylyl Alcohol.
Regulatory Flags
fragrance-component
epa_safer_alternative
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Caprylyl Alcohol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
2
Lowest NOAEL
130 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
650 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
1-Hydroxyoctane
n-Caprylic alcohol
Caswell No. 611A
EINECS 203-917-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079037
Fatty alcohol(C8)
FEMA No. 2800
FEMA Number 2800
Octyl alcohol, normal-primary
Octyl alcohol, primary
UNII-NV1779205D
1-Oktanol
Alfol 8
Dytol m-83
Emery 3322
Emery 3324
Epal 8
Hexyl methyl carbinol
Lorol 20
Lorol C8
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Deodorizer
Fragrance
Viscosity modifier
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
IFRA Transparency
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
SCIL (9/2019)
Canada; pharmaceutical
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Europe
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - children's art and toys - modeling clay; detected; Europe
air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - children's art and toys - modeling clay; detected; emissions; Europe
air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - children's art and toys - modeling clay; detected; emissions; Europe
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
OCTANOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL26215
Max Phase
2
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caprylyl Alcohol allowed in the EU?
Caprylyl Alcohol EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Caprylyl Alcohol do in cosmetics?
Caprylyl Alcohol functions as: Masking, Perfuming, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 111-87-5.
What is the NOAEL for Caprylyl Alcohol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Caprylyl Alcohol is 650 mg/kg bw/day based on a Developmental study via oral route in rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Caprylyl Alcohol used outside cosmetics?
Caprylyl Alcohol 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 Caprylyl Alcohol have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Caprylyl Alcohol is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H315, H319, H412, H227, H370, H371) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Caprylyl Alcohol 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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