Is Carvacrol safe in cosmetics?
Carvacrol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Carvacrol
Also known as: 4-06-00-03331, BRN 1860514, Caswell No. 511, o-Cresol, 5-isopropyl-, p-Cymene, 2-hydroxy- (+14 more)
INCI: CARVACROL
Carvacrol (CAS 499-75-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Perfuming Agent, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant. NOAEL 400 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, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 499-75-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Perfuming Agent, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-methyl-5-propan-2-ylphenol
InChIKey
RECUKUPTGUEGMW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
GRAS status under 21 CFR 172.515 (synthetic flavoring substances). FEMA 2245.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Carvacrol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Carvacrol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Carvacrol based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
fragrance
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.2%
Cross-reactivity Group
none
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: IVDK; literature review
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
3 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEL | =2000 mg/kg-day | Pig | oral | subchronic | EFSA |
| LOEL | =4 mg | Mouse | oral | acute | ECOTOX |
| LD50 | =810 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ChemIDplus |
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 | 2700 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100 - 1,000 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.
Roberts Skin Permeation (Mendeley 2022)
MW: 150
Log Kow: 3.28
Log Kp: -1.2533658010624211
Log Jmax: -6.307241181845276
Source: Roberts Cheruvu Mendeley 2022
Additional Ingredient Properties
5 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "499-75-2", "anti_acne_mechanism": "antibacterial", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "1", "acne_type_efficacy": "inflammatory", "p_acnes_mic_ug_per_ml": "100-500", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "5-10", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_category": "No", "max_otc_concentration_pct": "Max 1%", "japan_quasi_drug_anti_acne": "No", "korea_functional_cosmetic_acne": "…
allergen_detail
{"eu_allergen_listed": "no", "allergen_class": "fragrance", "patch_test_frequency_pct": "0.2", "sensitization_rate": "low", "common_reaction_type": "contact-dermatitis", "ifra_restricted": "no", "source": "IVDK; literature review"}
deodorant
{"cas_number": "499-75-2", "ingredient_class": "antimicrobial_deodorant", "mechanism_of_action": "bacterial_growth_inhibition", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "8-12", "odor_reduction_pct": "55-75", "bacteriostatic": "yes", "bactericidal": "yes", "target_bacteria": "broad_spectrum", "microbiome_impact": "broad", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies …
fragrance_ifra
{"cas_number": "499-75-2", "ifra_amendment_number": "49", "ifra_restriction_type": "Restricted", "ifra_max_use_level_category_1_pct": "0.018", "ifra_max_use_level_category_4_pct": "0.08", "ifra_max_use_level_category_7_pct": "0.05", "ifra_max_use_level_category_11_pct": "0.015", "eu_allergen_declaration_required": "No", "eu_26_allergens_list": "Proposed", "sccs_opinion_available": "Yes", "sensitiz…
preservative
{"preservative_class": "Phenol derivative", "antimicrobial_spectrum_bacteria_gp": "Excellent", "antimicrobial_spectrum_bacteria_gn": "Excellent", "antimicrobial_spectrum_yeast": "Yes", "antimicrobial_spectrum_mold": "Yes", "mic_staph_aureus_ppm": "50", "mic_e_coli_ppm": "50", "mic_pseudomonas_ppm": "50", "mic_candida_albicans_ppm": "200", "mic_aspergillus_niger_ppm": "200", "challenge_test_pass_co…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
710
Source: WHO/JECFA
JECFA Evaluation
2-HYDROXY-p-CYMENE | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
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 Carvacrol.
Regulatory Flags
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
jecfa_safe
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Carvacrol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
12
Lowest NOAEL
40 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
400 mg/kg bw/day
ECHA
Known Synonyms
4-06-00-03331
BRN 1860514
Caswell No. 511
o-Cresol, 5-isopropyl-
p-Cymene, 2-hydroxy-
Cymene-2-ol, p-
EINECS 207-889-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 022104
FEMA No. 2245
1-Hydroxy-2-methyl-5-isopropylbenzene
Phenol, 3-isopropyl-6-methyl-
Phenol, 5-isopropyl-2-methyl-
UNII-9B1J4V995Q
1-Methyl-2-hydroxy-4-isopropylbenzene
2-Hydroxy-4-isopropyl-1-methylbenzene
2-Hydroxycymene
2-Methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-Phenol
2-Methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)phenol
2-p-Cymenol
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
IFRA Transparency
Europe
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
consumer_product
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CARVACROL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL281202
Max Phase
2
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Carvacrol
ADI
No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent mg/kg bw
Food Category
preservative
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carvacrol allowed in the EU?
Carvacrol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Carvacrol do in cosmetics?
Carvacrol functions as: Perfuming Agent, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 499-75-2.
Is Carvacrol used outside cosmetics?
Carvacrol also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Carvacrol 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
Related Ingredients
Arginine
Excellent
Same category
Amino acid / pH Adjuster
D-Panthenol
Excellent
Same category
Hair and skin conditioning, humectant...
Dicaprylyl Ether
Excellent
Same category
Emollient
Emulsifying Wax
Excellent
Same category
O/W emulsifier; stabilizes oil-in-wat...
Ethyl Butyrate
Excellent
Same category
Perfuming, Masking
Fructose
Excellent
Same category
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Flavori...
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Similar safety
(Cnidium Officinale/Coptis Chinensis/Glycyrrhiza Uralensis) Root Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Cryptomeria Japonica/Chamaecyparis Obtusa) Stem Ferment Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, humectant
(Eclipta Prostrata/Houttuynia Cordata) Leaf Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Lepidium Meyenii/Sarcodon Aspratus) Root Water
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
Moderate
Similar safety
Skin conditioning, antioxidant
2,6-DICARBOXYPYRIDINE
Good
Chemical family
Chelating
2,6-Dicarboxypyridine (Dipicolinic Acid)
Good
Chemical family
Chelating agent
Hinokitiol
Good
Chemical family
Antimicrobial, anti-dandruff agent, a...
Is Carvacrol in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Carvacrol in your formulation.