2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (bronopol)
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 199
- Preservative allowed under conditions (Annex V)
2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (bronopol): Preservative allowed under conditions, maximum 0.1% in the ready-for-use preparation (Annex V, entry 21), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Good to know: hazardous to the aquatic environment. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 23 October 2026.
Who it concerns
What official classifications and rules say for each group. A classification describes the hazard of the pure substance, not the risk of a product that contains it, which depends on the dose and the exposure.
Prohibition or serious classificationThe text prohibits the substance for this use, or ranks it among the most serious hazards (known or presumed carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic, identified endocrine disruptor).Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No classification harmonised by the European Union covers reproduction, the unborn child or breastfeeding for this substance. This does not mean it has been judged to have no effect during pregnancy.
Babies and children
The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.
Skin, eyes and allergies
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
For information Classified under the CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: skin irritation, category 2 (Skin Irrit. 2); serious eye damage, category 1 (Eye Dam. 1). This classification describes the pure substance; in a finished product it is far more diluted.
Environment
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watching Classified under the CLP Regulation: hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1).
Read on the label
The Cosmetics Regulation requires no warning to be printed for this ingredient.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Preservative: inhibits primarily the development of micro-organisms in cosmetics.
Functions declared in the CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Definitions of functions (decision repealed on 8 May 2020, cited for information). Decision 2006/257/EC, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (definitions of functions), retrieved 22 October 2026.
What the rules say
An ingredient can be used as a preservative only if it appears on the list of Annex V. 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL is on it with a maximum concentration.
CosIng, Annex V of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (allowed preservatives), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Origin and odour
No natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database); this does not prove that the ingredient is synthetic.
Basis: one CosIng CAS, with no natural occurrence recorded in this database.
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Other names: Bronopol (French), bronopol (English), Bronopol (German), Bronopol (Spanish), bronopol (Italian).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Present in 0.3% of recorded cosmetics (72 out of 21 443), mainly: shampoos, shower gels, bubble baths.
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
The text of the annexes
Preservative allowed under conditions
- Maximum concentration
- 0.1%
- Other conditions
- Avoid formation of nitrosamines
- Entry
- Annex V, No 21
- Substance
- Bronopol
- Glossary names
- 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL
- CAS
- 52-51-7
- EC
- 200-143-0
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex V, entry 21. CosIng, Annex V of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (allowed preservatives), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, adopted on 30 November 2009.
SCCSEU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety: it assesses cosmetic ingredients. opinions cited: Opinion concerning Restrictions on Materials listed in annex VI of Directive 76/768/EEC on Cosmetic Products; Opinion on The Determination of certain Formaldehyde Releasers in Cosmetic Products; SCIENTIFIC ADVICE ON the threshold for the warning ‘contains formaldehyde’ in Annex V, preamble point 2 for formaldehyde-releasing substances.
What has changed, and what will change
Dates of the texts that cover this ingredient. A text date may cover several substances: the details of each entry are below.
Annex V, entry 21: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex V, entry 21: applies from this date
CLP classification “Acute Tox. 4 * Acute Tox. 4 * STOT SE 3” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
- upcoming
Washington State: Prohibited
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 31492
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 52-51-7
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 200-143-0
- Declared functions
- Preservative
- Wikidata
- Q2462902
- PubChem
- 2450
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.000.131
- InChIKey
- LVDKZNITIUWNER-UHFFFAOYSA-N
CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Wikidata, items with a CosIng identifier (P3073), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Wikidata, PubChem and ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency. links are published only when verified: same CosIng identifier, a single item, matching CAS number.
Classified hazard (CLP Regulation)
The harmonised classification is the one set by the European Union for the whole Union. H codes refer to the hazard statements of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
bronopol (INN); 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
Neither carcinogenic, mutagenic nor toxic for reproduction under the harmonised classification
- Hazard classes
- Acute toxicity, category 4 (Acute Tox. 4)
Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure, category 3 (STOT SE 3)
Skin irritation, category 2 (Skin Irrit. 2)
Serious eye damage, category 1 (Eye Dam. 1)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, short term, category 1 (Aquatic Acute 1) - Hazard statements
- H312 H302 H335 H315 H318 H400
Annex VI, entry 603-085-00-8, linked by CAS 52-51-7. Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Entry introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2018/669, applicable at the latest from 1 December 2019.
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions, with no effect on sale in France. What is covered, and what is not yet.
Comparison between countries
Most restrictive status in each country, and the maximum concentration cited. The details and the source of each rule follow.
| Country | Rule | Maximum concentration cited |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Preservative allowed under conditions | 0.1% |
| United Kingdom | Preservative allowed under conditions | 0.1% |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 0.1% |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Washington State | Prohibited differs from the EU | not cited |
| Canada | Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration) | 0.1% |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Restricted | 0.1% |
| China | Not on the prohibited lists recorded (lists of allowed substances are not recorded) | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| ASEAN | Allowed preservative | 0.1% |
| Taiwan | Allowed preservative | 0.1% |
| Brazil | Allowed under conditions | 0.1% |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Preservative allowed under conditions (Annex V)
Same entries as in the European Union. Their maximum concentrations are compared in the “Comparison between countries” table; other conditions (product types, warnings) may differ.
Annexes II to VI in force. United Kingdom, Annexes II to VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as retained and amended, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Northern Ireland applies EU law.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
Switzerland, FDHA Ordinance on Cosmetic Products (OCos, SR 817.023.31), consolidated version, retrieved 22 October 2026.
United States, federal rules
None of the integrated sections of the federal code (21 CFR 700.11 to 700.27 and 250.250) targets this name. The FDA does not publish a list of allowed ingredients.
United States, 21 CFR part 700 and section 250.250 (FDA rules on cosmetic ingredients), eCFR, retrieved 21 October 2026.
The eCFR is not an official legal edition of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Washington State (United States)
- Prohibited: 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol (Bronopol)
libérateur n° 6, from 1 January 2027. Prohibited when intentionally added; a retailer in the state may sell existing stock until January 1, 2028.
Washington State, Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act: RCW 70A.560.020 and WAC 173-339, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Canada
- Restricted (conditions or maximum concentration): 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
Hotlist, restricted ingredients. a) Not permitted in cosmetics that contain amines or amides. | b) Other cosmetics: maximum concentration 0.1%
Canada, Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (prohibited and restricted ingredients), retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: Health Canada, Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (canada.ca, French and English pages); table extracted and formatted by the publisher of this site, not the official version, with no endorsement by Health Canada.
South Korea
- Restricted: 2-브로모-2-나이트로프로판-1,3-디올(브로노폴) (2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL)
별표 2, 보존제 성분 (preservatives), entry 20, page 5. Limit: 0.1%.
Conditions, source text, in Korean
비고: 아민류나 아마이드류를 함유하고 있는 제품에는 사용금지
South Korea, MFDS Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics, Notification 2026-19, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 식품의약품안전처 (MFDS), 화장품 안전기준 등에 관한 규정, via law.go.kr; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
ASEAN (South-East Asia)
- Allowed preservative: Bronopol (INN)
Annex VI (allowed preservatives), entry 21, page 272. Limit: 0.1%.
Conditions, source text
Limitations and requirements: Avoid formation of nitrosamines
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, Annexes II, III, IV, VI and VII (version 2026-1 of 22 June 2026, Annex VII 2025-2), retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: ASEAN Cosmetic Documents, Annexes of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, as published by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA, Singapore); table extracted and formatted by the publisher of this site, with no endorsement by HSA or ASEAN.
Taiwan
- Allowed preservative: Bronopol (2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)
化粧品防腐劑成分名稱及使用限制表 (allowed preservatives). Limit: 0.1%.
Conditions, source text, in Chinese
限制規定：避免形成Nitrosamines; 化粧品中使用此類成分作為防腐劑時，其總釋出之Free Formaldehyde量，不得超過1,000 ppm。
Taiwan, TFDA cosmetic ingredient tables (prohibited, restricted, preservatives, UV filters, colorants), open data, retrieved 24 October 2026.
Source: Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), open datasets on data.gov.tw (Open Government Data License, version 1.0); table formatted by the publisher of this site.
Brazil
- Allowed under conditions: 2-bromo-2-nitropropano-1,3-diol (Bronopol) (2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL)
RDC 528/2021, Anexo (allowed preservatives), entry 20, page 3. Limit: 0.1%.
Conditions, source text, in Portuguese
LIMITAÇÕES: Evitar formação de nitrosaminas.
Brazil, ANVISA resolutions RDC 529/2021, 528/2021, 600/2022 and 628/2022, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: ANVISA. Text of the adopted draft resolutions, as the Official Journal could not be accessed; the 2021 lists of prohibited substances and preservatives were compared with the copy of the published text distributed by the State of Paraná, the 2022 lists of UV filters and colorants were not.
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
72 recorded products list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (in French).
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.