

BUTYL ALCOHOL may be an impurity the following product types:
facial moisturizer/treatment (17)
eye shadow (14)
acne treatment (14)
facial cleanser (13)
anti-fungal treatment (11)
anti-aging (11)
body wash/cleanser (10)
toners/astringents (9)
blush (8)
athlete's foot treatment (8)




N-BUTYL ALCOHOL, BUTANOL; 1-BUTANOL; N-BUTANOL; BUTYL HYDROXIDE; PROPYL CARBINOL; 1BUTANOL; BUTAN-1-OL; 1-BUTANOL; 1-BUTYL ALCOHOL; 1-HYDROXYBUTANE; ALCOOL BUTYLIQUE (FRENCH)


Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.
| This ingredient: | |
![]() | Cancer |
![]() | Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
![]() | Restrictions & warnings |
![]() | Allergies/immunotoxicity |
![]() | Contamination concerns |
![]() | Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards |
![]() | Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Data gaps |
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See products containing BUTYL ALCOHOL See ingredients that may have BUTYL ALCOHOL as an impurity See products that may have BUTYL ALCOHOL as an impurity | |
About BUTYL ALCOHOL: n-Butyl Alcohol is the aliphatic alcohol.
BUTYL ALCOHOL has reported used in the following product types: nail polish (36); nail treatment (11); fragrance for women (2)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Known human lung and skin toxicant | products that may be aerosolized (airborne); products for use on skin | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| One or more animal studies show sense organ effects at very low doses | products for use around the eyes, mouth, or lips | RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 |
| One or more animal studies show sense organ effects at very low doses | products for use around the eyes, mouth, or lips | RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Recommended restricted in cosmetics - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Product type restrictions or differences noted in safety assessment by industry panel | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | European Union - Classification & Labelling | |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Classified as lung and skin irritant | products that may be aerosolized (airborne); products for use on skin | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| Human irritant - strong evidence | products for use around the eyes, on the skin, or may be aerosolized (airborne) | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 1987 | |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses | RTECS®- International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 1994 | |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain, nervous system, or behavioral effects at high doses | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 1032 | |
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| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| Insufficient data to determine safety | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | |
| 2,035 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results -> | PubMed |
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Occupational hazards related to handling | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | BUTAN-1-OL;;N-BUTANOL | •Flammable •Harmful •Irritating to respiratory system and skin |
| FDA Food Additive Status | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • miscellaneous • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued - CFR73.1; 172.560 - Modified hop extract |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | N-BUTYL ALCOHOL | • S |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | N-BUTYL ALCOHOL | • S |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | N-BUTYL ALCOHOL | •Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product •Product type restrictions or differences noted in safety assessment by industry panel •GRAS (generally recognized as safe) - use in food presumed safe based either on a history of use before 1958 or on published scientific evidence; need not be approved by the FDA prior to use in food •Irritation (eyes, skin, or lungs) |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • Fully up-to-date toxicology information has been sought. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | 1-BUTANOL | •This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | N-BUTANOL | •Group D: Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity (EPA classification) |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | BUTYL ALCOHOL | •The chemical has been reported as used in fragrance compounds by IFRA affiliated member companies in 2008. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | N-BUTYL ALCOHOL | •Neurotoxin: CNS Solvent Syndrome; •PEL (OSHA) - Permissible exposure limit (OSHA): 100 ppm; •RD50 - Concentration producing a 50% decrease in respiratory rate in experimental animals following a 10-minute exposure: 4784 ppm; •LC50 - Lethal concentration in 50% of animals tested: 16000 ppm; •TLV (ACGIH) - Threshold limit value (ACGIH): 20 ppm; •IDLH (NIOSH) - Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health: 1400 ppm; •Odor Threshold High - The lowest concentration at which a substance can be detected or recognized using the sense of smell: 11 ppm; •Odor Threshold Low - The lowest concentration at which a substance can be detected or recognized using the sense of smell: 0.12 ppm; •MAK - Maximum Allowable Concentration (Federal Republic of Germany): 100 ppm; |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | 1BUTANOL | •Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs |
| Harvell, J, 1994 | N-BUTYL ALCOHOL | •Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) • skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1969 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 1994 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • reproductive - Craniofacial (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1943 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant ( human ) |
| RTECS®- MSHA STANDARD-air: 3,31,1971 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - MSHA STANDARD-air (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1987 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sex Chromosome Loss and Nondisjunction (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1989 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sex Chromosome Loss and Nondisjunction ( Aspergillis nidulans ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1987 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sex Chromosome Loss and Nondisjunction (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1989 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sex Chromosome Loss and Nondisjunction ( Aspergillis nidulans ) |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 1032 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Ataxia (rat TDLo) • blood - Changes in erythrocyte (RBC) count (rat TDLo) • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Ontogenez (Moscow) 1991 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • reproductive - Female fertility index (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Fetotoxicity (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Pre-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Construc): 29,1926 1994 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - OSHA PEL (Construc) (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Fed Cont): 41,50-204 1994 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - OSHA PEL (Fed Cont) (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Gen Indu): 29,1910 1994 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - OSHA PEL (Gen Indu) (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Shipyard): 29,1915 1993 | BUTYL ALCOHOL | • occupationally related - OSHA PEL (Shipyard) (human TWA) |
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP. |
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines. |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | IFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25 |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Harvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria)., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. See Environmental Defense's Suspect Hazard Identification documentation. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 | RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J., Prague, Czechoslovakia, Avicenum, 1986 -,193,1986 |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 1918- 29,1363,1946 |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 29,1363,1946 |
| RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1969 | RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc., Data Sheets. (1810 Frontage Rd., Northbrook, IL 60062) 2-5/1969 |
| RTECS®- International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 1994 | RTECS®- International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. (Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 SW. Teresy Street, P.O. Box 199, 90-950 Lodz, Poland) V.7- 1994- 7,365,1994 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1943 | RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. (Cambridge, MA) V.18-31, 1936-49. For publisher information, see AEHLAU. 25,282,1943 |
| RTECS®- MSHA STANDARD-air: 3,31,1971 | RTECS®- MSHA STANDARD-air: 3,31,1971 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1987 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 182,135,1987 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1989 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 215,187,1989 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1987 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 182,135,1987 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1989 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 215,187,1989 |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service 1032 | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service. (Springfield, VA 22161) Formerly U.S. Clearinghouse for Scientific & Technical Information. OTS0531032 |
| RTECS®- Ontogenez (Moscow) 1991 | RTECS®- Ontogenez (Moscow). For English translation, see SJDBA9. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095, Moscow, USSR) V.1- 1970- 22(1),71,1991 |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Construc): 29,1926 1994 | RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Construc): 29,1926.55,1994 |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Fed Cont): 41,50-204 1994 | RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Fed Cont): 41,50-204.50,1994 |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Gen Indu): 29,1910 1994 | RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Gen Indu): 29,1910.1000,1994 |
| RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Shipyard): 29,1915 1993 | RTECS®- OSHA PEL (Shipyard): 29,1915.1000,1993 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.
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