Is Heptane safe in cosmetics?
Heptane has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Heptane
Also known as: Dipropyl methane, EINECS 205-563-8, Gettysolve-C, Heptanen, UNII-456148SDMJ
INCI: HEPTANE
Heptane (CAS 142-82-5) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Solvent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; GHS signal word DANGER. 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 142-82-5 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Heptane is classified GHS Danger (H225, H304, H315, H336, H400, H410, H320, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Solvent
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
heptane
InChIKey
IMNFDUFMRHMDMM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted — not specifically restricted in 21 CFR 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 Heptane.
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.
Signal Word
DANGER
Pictograms
FlamFlameExcl markWarnCancerHealth hazEnviroAqua
Hazard Statements
Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways Causes skin irritation May cause drowsiness or dizziness Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Short-term Exposure Effects
The substance is irritating to the skin. The vapour is irritating to the respiratory tract. If swallowed the substance easily enters the airways and could result in aspiration pneumonitis. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system.
Long-term Exposure Effects
The substance defats the skin, which may cause dryness or cracking.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its vapour and by ingestion.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
9 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =6147.58 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | chronic | TX TCEQ |
| LEL | =43033 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | DOE Protective Action Criteria |
| NOAEL | =12295.2 mg/m3 | Rat | inhalation | chronic | EU SCOEL |
| OEL | =2049.19 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | EU SCOEL |
| LC50 | =103 mg/L | Rat | inhalation | - | ChemIDplus |
| RfC | =0.4 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | RSL |
| RfC | =4 mg/m3 | Human | inhalation | - | RSL |
| RfD | =0.0003 mg/kg-day | Human | oral | - | RSL |
| RfD | =0.003 mg/kg-day | Human | oral | - | RSL |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
N-Heptane is found in gasoline, which is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
CLASSIFICATION: D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: No human data and no animal data available. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
ICSC Safety Card
0657
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Skin: Dry skin. Eyes: Redness. Pain.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
HEPTANES | 1970 | LIMITED BY GMP | NMRS 48/TRS 462-JECFA 14/21,36 | FAS 70.39/NMRS 48A-JECFA 14/110
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Cleaning agent
Degradant/impurity
Fragrance
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Solvent
Viscosity modifier
Regulatory List Membership (2)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Heptane.
Regulatory Flags
ifra_fragrance
Known Synonyms
Dipropyl methane
EINECS 205-563-8
Gettysolve-C
Heptanen
UNII-456148SDMJ
Chemical Function
Solvent
Viscosity modifier
Propellants
non-motive (blowing agents)
Degradant/impurity
Cleaning agent
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
IFRA Transparency
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
consumer_product; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
consumer_product; detected; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Personal care
Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
Cleaning products and household care; Europe
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
detected; Europe; Other direct contact consumer goods
air; Europe
Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe
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
HEPTANE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL134658
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heptane allowed in the EU?
Heptane EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Heptane do in cosmetics?
Heptane functions as: Solvent. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 142-82-5.
Is Heptane classified as hazardous under GHS?
Heptane carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Highly flammable liquid and vapour May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways Causes skin irritation May cause drowsiness or dizziness Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. 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 Heptane used outside cosmetics?
Heptane 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 Heptane have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Heptane is classified GHS Danger (H225, H304, H315, H336, H400, H410, H320, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.
Compliance Tools
Check Heptane 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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