O-AMINOPHENOL (2-aminophenol)
Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 17692
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
O-AMINOPHENOL (2-aminophenol): Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1372), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Hair dyeing: colours hair.
What the rules say
It is prohibited to use it in a cosmetic product sold in the European Union, whatever the dose. If it appears on the ingredient list of a recent product, this needs checking: the record may be old or wrong, or the product intended for another market.
Hazard and risk
The CLP Regulation classifies this substance as mutagenic (may damage DNA), category 2 (suspected effect, without enough evidence for a higher category).
This classification describes what the substance can cause (a hazard), not what happens when using a product (a risk): the risk depends on the dose, the form and the route of exposure (skin, inhalation, ingestion).
Already prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II).
The text of the annexes
Prohibited in cosmetics
CosIng links the name O-AMINOPHENOL to this Annex II entry.
- Entry
- Annex II, No 1372
- Substance
- 2-aminophenol [1]; bis(2-hydroxyanilinium) sulfate [2]; 2-Aminophenol Hydrochloride [3]
- CAS
- 95-55-6 [1]/67845-79-8 [2]/51-19-4 [3]
- EC
- 202-431-1 [1]/267-335-4 [2]/621-209-9 [3]
- CMR
- Mutagenic Cat. 2()
Dates in the act (3)
- Entry into force on 15 May 2013
- Application from 11 July 2013
It shall apply from 11 July 2013.
- Entry into force on 11 July 2013
Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 35572
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 95-55-6
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 202-431-1
- Declared functions
- Hair dyeing
- Wikidata
- Q1089204
- PubChem
- 5801
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.002.211
- InChIKey
- CDAWCLOXVUBKRW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Classified hazard (CLP Regulation)
A classification describes an intrinsic hazard, not a risk: the risk depends on the dose, the form and the exposure.
2-aminophenol
CMR Muta. 2
- Hazard classes
- Muta. 2
Acute Tox. 4 *
Acute Tox. 4 * - Hazard statements
- H341 H332 H302
Already prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II).
EU product alerts (Safety Gate)
5 alerts on cosmetic products cite this name in their hazard description. An alert targets a specific product, not the ingredient itself; each alert states the reason (prohibited substance, limit exceeded, missing labelling, and so on).
- 5 August 2016: Hair dye, Creme of Nature, Sweden (“Serious risk”) alert
- 5 August 2016: Hair dye, Soft sheen Karizma, Sweden (“Serious risk”) alert
- 31 July 2015: Hair dye, Creme of Nature, Sweden (“Serious risk”) alert
- 10 July 2015: Hair dye, Creme of Nature, Sweden (“Serious risk”) alert
- 5 February 2010: Herbal henna - Moon Star Herbal Henna brown, Moon Star, Germany (“Serious risk”) alert
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions. What is covered, and what is not yet.
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
Same entries as in the European Union. Conditions (concentrations, warnings) may differ: they are not compared here.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
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.
South Korea
- Prohibited: o-아미노페놀
별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 521, page 27.
China
- Prohibited: 邻氨基苯酚及其盐类 (2-Aminophenol （o-Aminophenol; CI 76520） and its salts （CAS No. 95-55-6 / CAS No. 67845-79-8 / CAS No. 51-19-4）)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 105, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 105 ; TID reprint p.6.
Brazil
- Prohibited: 2-aminofenol(o-aminofenol; CI 76520) e seus sais, em concentrações maiores que 1%.
RDC 529/2021, Anexo (prohibited substances), entry 1372, page 47. Conditions (source text, in Portuguese): N° UE: 1372
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
1 recorded product list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (page in French).
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.