Moderate Cosmetic Ingredient NOAEL Data GHS Classified

Phenol

Also known as: Baker's P & S liquid & Ointment, Baker's P and S Liquid and Ointment, Caswell No. 649, EINECS 203-632-7, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 064001 (+15 more)

INCI: PHENOL

Phenol (CAS 108-95-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Denaturant, antimicrobial, fragrance component. NOAEL 0.6 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.2%; 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 108-95-2 →

Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations

Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence

Phenol is classified GHS Danger (H301, H311, H314, H318, H331, H341, H373, H411) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.

Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code

CAS Number

108-95-2

View industrial chemical safety profile →

Function

Denaturant, antimicrobial, fragrance component

Safety Rating

MODERATE

Chemistry & Identifiers

Formula

C6H6O

94.11 g/mol

EC Number

203-632-7

PubChem CID

996

IUPAC Name

phenol

InChIKey

ISWSIDIOOBJBQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N

ChEBI: CHEBI:15882 UNII: 339NCG44TV Wikidata: Q130336

Regulatory Status

EU EU Status restricted

EU Max Conc. 0.2%

US US Status permitted

US Notes FDA-permitted in cosmetics; no specific concentration limit but subject to general safety requirement. OTC drug ingredient in some applications

For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Phenol.

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Toxicological Studies

10 study endpoints found for Phenol. 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	20 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Multigeneration Reproductive	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	40 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Short Term Toxicity	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	86.2 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Short Term Toxicity	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	167 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Subchronic	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	180 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Developmental	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	224 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Special Toxicology Study	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	230 mg/kg bw/day	oral	mouse	Developmental	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	280 mg/kg bw/day	oral	mouse	Developmental	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	308 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Neurotoxicity	COSMOS_DB
NOAEL	500 mg/kg bw/day	oral	rat	Carcinogenicity	COSMOS_DB

GHS Hazard Classification

Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.

Signal Word

DANGER

Pictograms

SkullToxicCorrCancerHealth haz

Hazard Statements

Toxic if swallowed or in contact with skin Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Suspected of causing genetic defects Causes damage to central nervous system, the heart and kidneys Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure May cause respiratory irritation Toxic to aquatic life

Short-term Exposure Effects

The substance and the vapour are corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Corrosive on ingestion. Inhalation of the vapour may cause lung oedema, but only after initial corrosive effects on eyes and/or airways have become manifest. See Notes. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system, heart and kidneys. This may result in convulsions, coma, cardiac disorders, respiratory failure and collapse. The effects may be delayed. Medical observation is indicated. Exposure could cause death.

Long-term Exposure Effects

The substance may have effects on the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

Routes of Exposure

Serious local effects by all routes of exposure.

Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment

Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Phenol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.

EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values

10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).

Endpoint	Value	Species	Route	Duration	Source
RfD	=0.3 mg/kg-day	Human	oral	-	OW Drinking Water Standards
LEL	=69286 mg/m3	Human	inhalation	-	DOE Protective Action Criteria
LOAEL	=18.1683 mg/m3	Rat	inhalation	subchronic	TX TCEQ
LOAEL	=18.1683 mg/m3	Mouse	inhalation	subchronic	TX TCEQ
NOAEL	=96.2305 mg/m3	Rat	inhalation	short-term	TX TCEQ
NOAEL	=60 mg/kg-day	Rat	oral	short-term	EFSA
NOAEL	=120 mg/kg-day	Rat	oral	short-term	EFSA
LOAEL	=1.8 mg/kg-day	Mouse	oral	short-term	EFSA
MRL	=1 mg/kg-day	Human	oral	-	ATSDR MRLs
NOAEL	=20.016 mg/m3	Human	inhalation	acute	Cal OEHHA REL derivations

IARC Carcinogenicity

International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.

IARC Group

Volume

47, 71

Evaluation Year

1998

EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification

Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.

Signal Word

Danger

Pictograms

?Health HazardAcute ToxicityCorrosive

Hazard Class and Category

Muta. 2; Acute Tox. 3 *; Acute Tox. 3 *; Acute Tox. 3 *; STOT RE 2 *; Skin Corr. 1B

Hazard Statements

H341 Suspected of causing genetic defects
H331 Toxic if inhaled
H311 Toxic in contact with skin
H301 Toxic if swallowed
H373 **
H314 Causes severe skin burns and eye damage

Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors

*; Skin Corr. 1B; H314: C ≥ 3.0%; Skin Irrit. 2; H315: 1.0% ≤ C < 3.0%; Eye Irrit. 2; H319: 1.0% ≤ C < 3.0%

Inserted via ATP: CLP00

Sensitization AOP Dashboard

Adverse Outcome Pathway data across 5 assays (DPRA, KeratinoSens, hCLAT, LLNA, NESIL) aggregated from public sources.

DPRA Cys %

15.4%

DPRA Lys %

KeratinoSens IC50

2000 µM

hCLAT CV75

308.8 µg/mL

NESIL

1241 µg/cm²

GHS: 1B Human: positive

Source: DPRA: Hoffmann et al., 2018; KS: Emter et al. 2010 [DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2010.03.009]; hCLAT: Miyazawa personal communication (undated); HPPT: [27] Kligman AM (1966): https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.1966.160

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	1241.38	-	-

Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)

Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.

Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism

Category: other

Receptor targets: ERα

LOEC: 100 µM

EU status: restricted (max 1%)

weak agonist

ECHA REACH Registration

European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.

Registration Type

Full

Tonnage Band

1,000,000 - 10,000,000 tonnes

Substance Type

SUBSTANCE

SVHC Candidate

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: 1175

(EC) 2009/1223

CMR: Mutagenic 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.

SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)

ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)

Ref: 1175

JPKR Japan/Korea Cosmetics

Japan (Positive (Preservative)): max 0.10

Japan (Restricted): max 0.10%

BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics

Brazil: Prohibited

India: Prohibited (GNRAS)

Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (6)

Jurisdiction	Status	Max %	Product Type
JP	restricted	0.10%	All cosmetics
GCC	banned	-	All cosmetics
GCC	restricted	1.0	Nail care products only
BR	banned	-	Except trace amounts
CA	banned	-	-
KR	prohibited	-	-

Expanded Dermal Absorption Data

Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.

Roberts Skin Permeation (Mendeley 2022)

MW: 94.1

Log Kow: 1.48

Log Kp: -1.709965388637482

Log Jmax: -4.6307841425898575

Source: Roberts_Cheruvu_Mendeley_2022

Additional Ingredient Properties

1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.

exfoliant

{"cas_number": "108-95-2", "ingredient_class": "chemical_peel_agent", "chemical_subclass": "phenol_derivative", "molecular_weight_Da": "94.11", "pKa_value": "9.95", "pH_dependent_activity": "no", "optimal_pH_range": "<3.0", "penetration_depth": "dermis/mid-reticular_dermis", "mechanism_of_action": "keratin_dissolution/protein_coagulation", "target_bonds": "protein denaturation", "onset_of_action":…

PubChem Annotations

Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.

Safety (6)

Carcinogen Classification

3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)

Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)

Carcinogen Classification

Phenol | Group 3: Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | Volume 47: (1989) Some Organic Solvents, Resin Monomers and Related Compounds, Pigments and Occupational Exposures in Paint Manufacture and Painting | Volume 71: (1999) Re-evaluation of Some Organic Chemicals, Hydrazine and Hydrogen Peroxide (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Carcinogen Classification

Source: NTP Technical Reports

Evidence for Carcinogenicity

Evaluation: There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of phenol. There is inadequate evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of phenol. Overall evaluation: Phenol is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). | A4: Not classifiable as a human carcinogen. | Cancer Classification: Group D Not Classifiable as to Human Carcinogenicity | CLASSI

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

ICSC Safety Card

0070

Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Regulatory (3)

JECFA Number

690

Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

JECFA Evaluation

HYDROXYBENZENE | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165

Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

JECFA Evaluation

PHENOL | 2000 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | TRS 901-JECFA 55/44 | FAS 46-JECFA 55/165

Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

Function Categories & List Membership

Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories

Abrasive Antioxidant Biocide Chemical reaction regulator Deodorizer Flavouring and nutrient Fragrance Hardener Monomers Pharmaceutical

Regulatory List Membership (4)

EU Banned in Cosmetics IFRA Fragrance Transparency List FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS) EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database

Expert Verdict

Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Phenol.

Regulatory Flags

fragrance-component endocrine_disruptor eu_banned_cosmetics ifra_fragrance fda_food_additive eu_cosing_listed jecfa_safe

NOAEL Studies Summary

View details ->

Public NOAEL study rows linked to Phenol by CAS number or substance name.

Studies

Lowest NOAEL

Highest NOAEL

500

Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg bw

COSMOS_DB INCHEM_WHO_ehc_ehc_ehc161 ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip

Known Synonyms

Baker's P & S liquid & Ointment Baker's P and S Liquid and Ointment Caswell No. 649 EINECS 203-632-7 EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 064001 FEMA No. 3223 NCI-C50124 Phenol, liquefied RCRA waste number U188 UNII-339NCG44TV Benzophenol Campho-phenique cold sore gel Campho-phenique gel Campho-phenique liquid Carbolic acid liquid Carbolic oil Carbolicum acidum Carbolsaeure Carbolsaure Cepastat lozenges

Chemical Function

Biocide Preservative Deodorizer Flavouring and nutrient Fragrance

Regulatory Lists

air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe 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 Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; Europe air; Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe Cons electronics mech appliances and machinery; detected; emissions; Europe artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies - arts and crafts adhesive; detected; Europe air; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - fabric treatment and dye; Arts and crafts/Office supplies - home office - pens and markers; detected; emissions; 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

PHENOL

ChEMBL ID

CHEMBL14060

Max Phase

Adverse Event Associations

142

View full pharmaceutical profile →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Phenol safe in cosmetics?

Phenol has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.

Is Phenol allowed in the EU?

Phenol EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.2%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Phenol do in cosmetics?

Phenol functions as: Denaturant, antimicrobial, fragrance component. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 108-95-2.

What is the NOAEL for Phenol?

The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Phenol is 20 mg/kg bw/day based on a Multigeneration Reproductive study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.

Is Phenol classified as hazardous under GHS?

Phenol carries a GHS signal word of "DANGER". Hazard statements: Toxic if swallowed or in contact with skin Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Suspected of causing genetic defects Causes damage to central nervous system, the heart and kidneys Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure May cause respiratory irritation Toxic to aquatic life. 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 Phenol used outside cosmetics?

Phenol 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 Phenol have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?

Phenol is classified GHS Danger (H301, H311, H314, H318, H331, H341, H373, H411) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.2%.

Compliance Tools

Check Phenol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

Ingredient Decoder

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Substance Compliance

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MoS Calculator

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Heavy Metal Limits

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