Is Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) safe in cosmetics?
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal)
Also known as: Hexanal, 2-ethyl-, 2-Ethylhexanal, Caproaldehyde, α-ethyl-, 4-01-00-03345, BRN 1700556 (+7 more)
INCI: ETHYLHEXANAL
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) (CAS 123-05-7) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Fragrance ingredient, denaturant. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 123-05-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H226, H315, H317, H319, H361).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Fragrance ingredient, denaturant
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-ethylhexanal
InChIKey
LGYNIFWIKSEESD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
SCCS Opinion
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal).
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
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 skin. The vapour is irritating to the respiratory tract.
Long-term Exposure Effects
Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dermatitis.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
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 | 1350 | - | - |
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
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
ICSC Safety Card
0621
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Skin or eye contact can cause severe irritation or burns. The vapors can irritate the eyes, throat and bronchial tubes ...
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Flavouring and nutrient
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (1)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal).
Regulatory Flags
potential-allergen
fragrance-component
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
Hexanal, 2-ethyl-
2-Ethylhexanal
Caproaldehyde, α-ethyl-
4-01-00-03345
BRN 1700556
Butyl ethyl acetaldehyde
EINECS 204-596-5
Octyl aldehyde
2-ethylhexan-1-al
alpha-ethylcaproaldehyde
alpha-ethylhexanal
beta-propyl-alpha-ethylacrolein
Chemical Function
Fragrance
Flavouring and nutrient
Regulatory Lists
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
IFRA Transparency
Europe
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) allowed in the EU?
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) do in cosmetics?
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) functions as: Fragrance ingredient, denaturant. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 123-05-7.
Is Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) used outside cosmetics?
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H226, H315, H317, H319, H361).
Compliance Tools
Check Ethylhexanal (2-Ethylhexanal) 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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Chemical family
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