Is Chlorophene safe in cosmetics?
Chlorophene has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: restricted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Chlorophene
Also known as: ochlorophenol, 2-Benzyl-4-chlorophenol, Phenol, 4-chloro-2-(phenylmethyl)-, o-Cresol, 4-chloro-α-phenyl-, 4-06-00-04636 (+15 more)
INCI: CHLOROPHENE
Chlorophene (CAS 120-32-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Preservative / antimicrobial. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 0.2%. 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 120-32-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Chlorophene is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H317, H318, H332, H335, H351, H361) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative / antimicrobial
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-benzyl-4-chlorophenol
InChIKey
NCKMMSIFQUPKCK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
0.2%
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
FDA restricts use to below 0.1% in cosmetics; prohibited in cosmetics applied to mucous membranes; banned in OTC antibacterial hand washes
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Chlorophene.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Health HazardHarmful / IrritantCorrosiveEnvironmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Carc. 2; Repr. 2; Acute Tox. 4; STOT RE 2; Skin Irrit. 2; Eye Dam. 1; Skin Sens. 1; Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H351 Suspected of causing cancer
- H361f
- H332 Harmful if inhaled
- H373 (kidney)
- H315 Causes skin irritation
- H318 Causes serious eye damage
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
M = 1; M = 100
Inserted via ATP: ATP10
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 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: 1602
(EU) 2019/831
CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 2(),Reprotoxic Cat. 2()
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.
KR Korea MFDS Annex 2 (Restricted)
Category: Preservative. Max: 0.05%. —
SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Prohibited (GNRAS)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (4)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | banned | - | - |
| IN | permitted_preservative | 0.2 | all cosmetics |
| BR | banned | - | - |
| ASEAN | permitted_preservative | 0.2% | All products |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (6)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
o-Benzyl-p-Chlorophenol | TR-444: One-Year Initiation/Promotion Study of o-Benzyl-p-Chlorophenol (CASRN 120-32-1) in Swiss (CD-1) Mice (Mouse Skin Study) (1995 ) | 11/17/93 | Initiation/Promotion Study | Under the conditions of this 1-year mouse skin initiation/promotion study in Swiss (CD-1) mice, o -benzyl- p -chlorophenol was a cutaneous irritant and a weak skin tumor promoter relative to stro
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Carcinogen Classification
o-Benzyl-p-Chlorophenol | TR-424: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of o-Benzyl-p-Chlorophenol (CASRN 120-32-1) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies) (1994 ) | 12/01/92 | No Evidence | Equivocal Evidence | Some Evidence | No Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2-year gavage studies, there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol in male F344/N
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Cancer Classification: Group C Possible Human Carcinogen
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Preservative
Regulatory List Membership (3)
EU Banned in Cosmetics
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Chlorophene.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
eu_banned_cosmetics
eu_cosing_listed
Known Synonyms
ochlorophenol
2-Benzyl-4-chlorophenol
Phenol, 4-chloro-2-(phenylmethyl)-
o-Cresol, 4-chloro-α-phenyl-
4-06-00-04636
Benzylchlorophenol
o-Benzyl-p-chlorophenol
BRN 1959194
Caswell No. 083
4-Chloro-alpha-phenyl-o-cresol
4-Chloro-alpha-phenyl-ortho-cresol
EINECS 204-385-8
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 062201
Ketolin-H
NCI-C61201
Orthobenzyl-p-chlorophenol
Orthobenzylparachlorophenol
Santophen I
Santophen 1 flake
Santophen I germicide
Chemical Function
Biocide
Preservative
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
pharmaceutical
banned; Europe; Personal care
banned; Europe; Personal care
active_ingredient; Europe; 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
CLOROPHENE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1328919
Max Phase
2
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chlorophene allowed in the EU?
Chlorophene EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.2%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Chlorophene do in cosmetics?
Chlorophene functions as: Preservative / antimicrobial. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 120-32-1.
Is Chlorophene used outside cosmetics?
Chlorophene 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 Chlorophene have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Chlorophene is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H317, H318, H332, H335, H351, H361) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.
Compliance Tools
Check Chlorophene 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
Dipotassium EDTA
Excellent
Same category
Chelating agent; preservative booster
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
Excellent
Same category
Emulsifier; Humectant; Softener and c...
Hexanediol (1,2-Hexanediol)
Excellent
Same category
Solvent, humectant, emollient, preser...
Phenethyl Alcohol
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance ingredient; preservative (a...
Polyepsilon-Lysine
Excellent
Same category
Preservative (antimicrobial); hair co...
Sodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphate
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, cleansing, foaming, hair ...
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,3-Bis-(Isocyanatomethyl) Cyclohexane
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer / cross-linking agent used in...
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI)
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer and crosslinker in polymer sy...
1,6-Hexanediamine
Poor
Similar safety
Industrial chemical (nylon monomer); ...
Benzyl Benzoate
Moderate
Chemical family
fragrance; solvent; anti-parasitic
Benzyl Isoeugenol
Moderate
Chemical family
Perfuming (fragrance ingredient)
Diethylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Moderate
Chemical family
Plasticizer, solvent, perfume stabilizer
Is Chlorophene 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 Chlorophene in your formulation.