Is Thiabendazole safe in cosmetics?
Thiabendazole has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Thiabendazole
Also known as: TB, APL-luster, 4-(2-Benzimidazolyl)thiazole, Biogard, Bioguard (+15 more)
INCI: THIABENDAZOLE
Thiabendazole (CAS 148-79-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Preservative, antifungal agent (benzimidazole fungicide). 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 and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 148-79-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Thiabendazole is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H410, H360, H370, H373, H400).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative, antifungal agent (benzimidazole fungicide)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1,3-thiazole
InChIKey
WJCNZQLZVWNLKY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
FDA-approved as an antifungal drug (OTC/Rx); NOT listed as a permitted cosmetic preservative; cosmetic use would be off-label
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Thiabendazole.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Warning
Pictograms
Environmental Hazard
Hazard Class and Category
Aquatic Acute 1; Aquatic Chronic 1
Hazard Statements
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
- H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
M = 1; M = 1
Inserted via ATP: ATP14
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 | 15517.24 | - | - |
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Under investigation
Evidence: Moderate
(2022)
Health effects: Yes
Affected pathways: Thyroid, Steroidogenesis
Regulatory framework: PPPR
Source list: II
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Cancer Classification: Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans at High Doses; Not Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans at Low Doses
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Endocrine Disruptors
Potential endocrine disrupting compound
Source: NORMAN Suspect List Exchange
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
/Thiabendazole/ is neither irritating to the eyes or skin nor is a dermal sensitizer.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
TIABENDAZOLE | 2002 | 0-0.1 mg/kg bw | Emesis and effects on the kidney, haematopoietic system, and development were considered relevant end-points for establishing an acute RfD. The most sensitive effect was histopathological changes in the spleen and bone marrow indicative of anaemia, for which almost identical NOELs were found in rats and dogs. Using the NOEL from the dogs study of 10 mg/kg bw/
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Biocide
Degradant/impurity
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Thiabendazole.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
Known Synonyms
TB
APL-luster
4-(2-Benzimidazolyl)thiazole
Biogard
Bioguard
BRN 0611403
Captan T
Caswell No. 849A
EINECS 205-725-8
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 060101
Helmindrax octelmin
Metasol TK-100
Mycozol
RTU Flowable Fungicide
Syntol M100
Tecto RPH
Thiabendazolum
2-Thiazole-4-ylbenzimidazole
2-(1,3-Thiazol-4-yl)benzimidazole
Thibenzole ATT
Chemical Function
Biocide
Degradant/impurity
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory Lists
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
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
detected; Europe; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides; residue
detected; Europe; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides; residue
detected; Europe; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides; residue
detected; Europe; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides; residue
detected; Europe; fruits_and_vegetables; Pesticides; residue
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
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
THIABENDAZOLE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL625
Max Phase
4
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thiabendazole allowed in the EU?
Thiabendazole EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Thiabendazole do in cosmetics?
Thiabendazole functions as: Preservative, antifungal agent (benzimidazole fungicide). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 148-79-8.
Is Thiabendazole used outside cosmetics?
Thiabendazole 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 Thiabendazole have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Thiabendazole is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H410, H360, H370, H373, H400).
Compliance Tools
Check Thiabendazole 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
Related Ingredients
Dipotassium EDTA
Excellent
Same category
Chelating agent; preservative booster
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
Excellent
Same category
Emulsifier; Humectant; Softener and c...
Hexanediol (1,2-Hexanediol)
Excellent
Same category
Solvent, humectant, emollient, preser...
Phenethyl Alcohol
Excellent
Same category
Fragrance ingredient; preservative (a...
Polyepsilon-Lysine
Excellent
Same category
Preservative (antimicrobial); hair co...
Sodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphate
Excellent
Same category
Antistatic, cleansing, foaming, hair ...
1,2,4-Benzenetriacetate
Poor
Similar safety
Hair dye precursor (triacetyl ester o...
1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Poor
Similar safety
Hair colorant (auto-oxidative dye)
1,3-Bis-(Isocyanatomethyl) Cyclohexane
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer / cross-linking agent used in...
1,4-Butanediol
Poor
Similar safety
Solvent, humectant, viscosity control...
1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI)
Poor
Similar safety
Monomer and crosslinker in polymer sy...
1,6-Hexanediamine
Poor
Similar safety
Industrial chemical (nylon monomer); ...
OXYQUINOLINE
Moderate
Chemical family
Antimicrobial, Chelating
THIMEROSAL
Moderate
Browse nearby
Preservative
THYMUS LINEARIS LEAF/(ANGELICA GLAUCA/BERGENIA CILIATA) ROOT/PRINSEPIA UTILIS SEED EXTRACT
Good
Browse nearby
Skin Conditioning
Is Thiabendazole in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Thiabendazole in your formulation.