Is Dimethyl Urea safe in cosmetics?
Dimethyl Urea has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 4 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Dimethyl Urea
Also known as: N,N-Dimethylurea, BRN 1740672, EINECS 202-498-7, N,N'-Dimethylharnstoff, UNII-WAM6DR9I4X
INCI: DIMETHYL UREA
Dimethyl Urea (CAS 96-31-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Humectant / buffering (proposed); primarily industrial intermediate. NOAEL 50 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word WARNING. 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 96-31-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Humectant / buffering (proposed); primarily industrial intermediate
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1,3-dimethylurea
InChIKey
MGJKQDOBUOMPEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — no specific CFR prohibition; no CIR review for cosmetic use
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Dimethyl Urea.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
4 study endpoints found for Dimethyl Urea. 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 | =30 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =50 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | short-term | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =60 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | reproduction developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
| NOAEL | =200 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Signal Word
WARNING
Hazard Statements
Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is mildly irritating to the eyes and skin.
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Dimethyl Urea across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
1745
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Dimethyl Urea.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Dimethyl Urea by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
4
Lowest NOAEL
30 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
200 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
N,N-Dimethylurea
BRN 1740672
EINECS 202-498-7
N,N'-Dimethylharnstoff
UNII-WAM6DR9I4X
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
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.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1234380
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dimethyl Urea allowed in the EU?
Dimethyl Urea EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Dimethyl Urea do in cosmetics?
Dimethyl Urea functions as: Humectant / buffering (proposed); primarily industrial intermediate. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 96-31-1.
What is the NOAEL for Dimethyl Urea?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Dimethyl Urea is =30 mg/kg bw/day based on a reproduction developmental study via oral route in Rat. A total of 4 study endpoints are available. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is Dimethyl Urea classified as hazardous under GHS?
Dimethyl Urea carries a GHS signal word of "WARNING". Hazard statements: Causes mild skin irritation Causes eye irritation. This classification is based on the ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Card and ECHA C&L inventory data. Note: GHS classification applies to the pure substance — at cosmetic use concentrations, hazard thresholds may not be met.
Is Dimethyl Urea used outside cosmetics?
Dimethyl Urea 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.
Compliance Tools
Check Dimethyl Urea 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
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