Is HC Blue No. 12 safe in cosmetics?
HC Blue No. 12 has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
HC Blue No. 12
INCI: HC BLUE NO. 12
HC Blue No. 12 (CAS 132885-85-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Hair dyeing (direct / semi-permanent nitro dye). 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 132885-85-9 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
HC Blue No. 12 is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H317, H412).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Hair dyeing (direct / semi-permanent nitro dye)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-[4-[ethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-nitroanilino]ethanol;hydrochloride
InChIKey
LXKQJEXWFGAMMW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted under coal tar hair dye exemption (21 CFR 740.17)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for HC Blue No. 12.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for HC Blue No. 12 based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
dye
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.2%
Cross-reactivity Group
para-amino-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: SCCS; IVDK
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Harmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Acute Tox. 4 *; Skin Sens. 1; Aquatic Chronic 3
Hazard Statements
- H302 Harmful if swallowed
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction
- H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Inserted via ATP: CLP00
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)
Additional Ingredient Properties
2 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
allergen_detail
{"eu_allergen_listed": "no", "allergen_class": "dye", "cross_reactivity_group": "para-amino-group", "patch_test_frequency_pct": "0.2", "sensitization_rate": "low", "common_reaction_type": "contact-dermatitis", "ifra_restricted": "no", "source": "SCCS; IVDK"}
hair_dye
{"cas_number": "104516-93-0", "ingredient_class": "direct_dye", "chemical_class": "nitro", "molecular_weight_Da": "297.31", "color_result_on_hair": "Blue", "shade_range": "fashion_color", "primary_function": "direct_deposit", "requires_developer": "no", "lift_capability_levels": "0", "deposit_only": "yes", "permanence": "semi_permanent", "wash_fastness_shampoos": "6-12", "light_fastness": "moderat…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for HC Blue No. 12.
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to HC Blue No. 12 by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
32
Lowest NOAEL
0.253
Highest NOAEL
1668
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw, mg/kg bw/d, mg/kg
SCCS_vision_codex
Chemical Function
Dye
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HC Blue No. 12 allowed in the EU?
HC Blue No. 12 EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does HC Blue No. 12 do in cosmetics?
HC Blue No. 12 functions as: Hair dyeing (direct / semi-permanent nitro dye). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 132885-85-9.
Is HC Blue No. 12 used outside cosmetics?
HC Blue No. 12 also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does HC Blue No. 12 have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
HC Blue No. 12 is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H317, H412).
Compliance Tools
Check HC Blue No. 12 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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