ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE (2-ethylhexyl acrylate)
See the summary at the top of this page. CosIng, Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (prohibited substances), Consulted on 23 October 2026.
Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 10183
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
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: skin irritation, category 2 (Skin Irrit. 2); skin sensitisation, category 1 (Skin Sens. 1).
Environment
No harmonised classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment, and no EU act identifies it as an endocrine disruptor for the environment.
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:
The functions and their explanations appear in the summary.
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.
CosIng, list of cosmetic functions, retrieved 30 October 2026; source text read on 30 October 2026.
What the rules say
No EU rule targets this ingredient specifically. It remains subject to the general rule: every product must undergo a safety assessment before it is sold (Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009), under the manufacturer's responsibility.
See the summary at the top of this page.
What we know about this ingredient
Consumer uses
Absorbent
Anti-adhesive/cohesive
Anti-stain agent
Monomers
Plasticizer
Sealant (barrier)
Industry uses
Absorbent
Anti-stain agent
Binder
Intermediate
Monomers
Plasticizer
Solvent
Wrinkle resisting agent
Uses
... Used to manufacture coating materials (especially emulsion paints), adhesives, printing inks, impregnating agents, and reactive diluent/cross-linking agents.
Acrylic acid, 2 ethylhexyl ester is used... in the production of water-based paints intended for use in contact with food or drink.
In vinyl acetate copolymerization
In vinyl chloride copolymerization
Monomer for plastics, protective coatings, paper treatment; in water-based paints
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. 6th ed.Vol 1: Federal Republic of Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. 2003 to Present, p. V12 640 (2003); Sheftel, V.O.; Indirect Food Additives and Polymers. Migration and Toxicology. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. 2000., p. 25; Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 3rd ed., Volumes 1-26. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1978-1984., p. 23(83) 831; Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 3rd ed., Volumes 1-26. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1978-1984., p. 23(83) 910; Lewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 9th ed. Volumes 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996., p. 474.
CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Manufacturing
In ... propylene oxidation process acrolein is first formed by the catalytic oxidation of propylene vapor at high temp in the presence of steam. The acrolein is then oxidized to acrylic acid. ... The acrylic acid is esterified with alcohol to the ... acrylic ester in a separate process. /Acrylic ester monomers/
REACTION OF ACETYLENE, CARBON MONOXIDE, AND 2-ETHYLHEXANOL (MODIFIED REPPE PROCESS)
The acrylates can be manufactured by a number of procedures. These include dehydration of the corresponding hydroxyalkanoic acid, saponification of the alkaline nitrile, catalytic hydration of acetylene and carbon monoxide, or the reaction of acetone with hydrocyanic acid. /Acrylates/
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 3rd ed., Volumes 1-26. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1978-1984., p. 1(78) 392; SRI; Bingham, E.; Cohrssen, B.; Powell, C.H.; Patty's Toxicology Volumes 1-9 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons. New York, N.Y. (2001)., p. V6 597.
Appearance
Colorless liquid
2-ethylhexyl acrylate appears as a clear colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. Less dense than water and insoluble in water. Vapors heavier than air. Flash point 180 °F. Used in making of paints and plastics.
Liquid
Clear liquid with a pleasant odor.
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Clayton, G.D., F.E. Clayton (eds.) Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. Volumes 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F: Toxicology. 4th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1993-1994., p. V2D 3007.
PubChem : CAMEO Chemicals · 2026-10-29 · https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/8674.
PubChem : EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) · 2026-10-29 · https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data-reporting.
PubChem : Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) · 2026-10-29 · https://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/826.
Odour described
Pleasant
Stability
The typical shelf-life for this product is 12 months. /Formulation >99% 2-ethylhexyl acrylate/
Other names: acrylate de 2-éthylhexyle (French), 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (English), 2-Ethylhexylacrylat (German).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
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
No specific rule of the EU Cosmetics Regulation names this ingredient: it is on none of its lists (prohibited, restricted, colorants, preservatives, UV filters). It may be used under the responsibility of the manufacturer, who must ensure the product is safe.
Search in Annexes II to VI. CosIng, Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (prohibited substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
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.
CLP classification “STOT SE 3” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 91108
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 103-11-7
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 203-080-7
- Declared functions
- Binding
- Wikidata
- Q209383
- PubChem
- 7636
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.002.801
- InChIKey
- GOXQRTZXKQZDDN-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.
2-ethylhexyl acrylate
Neither carcinogenic, mutagenic nor toxic for reproduction under the harmonised classification
- Hazard classes
- Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure, category 3 (STOT SE 3)
Skin irritation, category 2 (Skin Irrit. 2)
Skin sensitisation, category 1 (Skin Sens. 1) - Hazard statements
- H335 H315 H317
- CLP notes
- D
Annex VI, entry 607-107-00-7, linked by CAS 103-11-7. 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 | No specific rule in the Cosmetics Regulation | not cited |
| United Kingdom | No specific rule in the Cosmetics Regulation | not cited |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | not cited |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Canada | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| 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 | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Taiwan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Brazil | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- No specific rule in the Cosmetics Regulation
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.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.