P-CHLOROPHENOL
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 (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 19144
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
No harmonised classification for sensitisation, irritation or eye damage, and no obligation to label it as an allergen.
Environment
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: hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 2 (Aquatic Chronic 2).
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
Uses
CHEM INT FOR THE ACARICIDE, OVEX, RODENTICIDE, PHOSACETIN, PHARMACEUTICALS; DENATURANT FOR ALCOHOL; SELECTIVE SOLVENT IN REFINING MINERAL OILS
In the synthesis of derivatives of quinizarin, anthraquinone dyes; in the synthesis of the biocide 2-benzyl-4-chlorophenol; in the synthesis of the fungicides dichlorophen and triadimefon; in the synthesis of the cholesterol-reducing drug ethyl-alpha,alpha-dimethyl-4-chlorophenoxy acetate
Intermediate in synthesis of dyes and drugs; denaturant for alcohol; selective solvent in refining mineral oil
To produce 2,4-dichlorophenol, and a germicide, 4-chlorophenol-o-cresol.
Calculated removal (%): 77
Consumption (g per capita; approx.) in Germany (2009): 0.000122
Use (kg; approx.) in Germany (2009): >10
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · SRI; Desmurs JR et al; Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. (2005). NY, NY: John Wiley & Sons; Chlorophenols. Online Posting Date: December 4, 2000.; Lewis, R.J. Sr.; Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary 14th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 2001., p. 270; USEPA; Ambient Water Quality Criteria Doc: Chlorinated Phenols p.A-5 (1980) EPA 440/5-80-032.
PubChem : NORMAN Suspect List Exchange · 2026-10-29 · DOI:10.1021/acs.est.5b03332.
Use classification
Cosmetics -> Antimicrobial
Environmental transformation -> Pesticide transformation products (metabolite, successor)
Pharmaceuticals -> Transformation products
PubChem : NORMAN Suspect List Exchange · 2026-10-29 · S13 | EUCOSMETICS | Combined Inventory of Ingredients Employed in Cosmetic Products (2000) and Revised Inventory (2006) | DOI:10.5281/zenodo.2624118; S60 | SWISSPEST19 | Swiss Pesticides and Metabolites from Kiefer et al 2019 | DOI:10.5281/zenodo.3544759; S66 | EAWAGTPS | Parent-Transformation Product Pairs from Eawag | DOI:10.5281/zenodo.3754448.
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.
Manufacturing
... From diazotized p-chloroaniline by chlorination of phenol.
Chlorination of phenol; from chloroaniline through diazonium salt
From p-nitrosophenol by a modification of Sandmeyer reaction.
Mfr by selective reduction of chlorobromophenols..
Appearance
Needle like, white to straw-colored crystals
White crystals (yellow or pink when impure)
Yellow solid
P-chlorophenol appears as white crystals with a strong phenol odor. Slightly soluble to soluble in water, depending on the isomer, and denser than water. Noncombustible. Used as an intermediate in organic synthesis of dyes and drugs.
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Lide, D.R., G.W.A. Milne (eds.). Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds. Volume I. 3rd ed. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton ,FL. 1994., p. V2: 871; Lewis, R.J. Sr.; Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary 14th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 2001., p. 257; Ashford, R.D. Ashford's Dictionary of Industrial Chemicals. London, England: Wavelength Publications Ltd., 1994., p. 208.
PubChem : CAMEO Chemicals · 2026-10-29 · https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/2906.
Odour described
Characeteristic phenolic odor
Chlorophenolic odor
Unpleasant, penetrating odor
PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · O'Neil, M.J. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 2006., p. 356; Ashford, R.D. Ashford's Dictionary of Industrial Chemicals. London, England: Wavelength Publications Ltd., 1994., p. 208; Lewis, R.J. Sr.; Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary 14th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 2001., p. 257.
Stability
Volatile with steam
Other names: 4-chlorophénol (French), 4-Chlorphenol (German), 4-Clorofenol (Portuguese).
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 “Acute Tox. 4 *” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2018/669)
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 35871
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 106-48-9
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 203-402-6
- Declared functions
- Antimicrobial
- Wikidata
- Q2179668
- PubChem
- 4684
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.003.094
- InChIKey
- WXNZTHHGJRFXKQ-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-chlorophenol; [1] 4-chlorophenol; [2] 3-chlorophenol; [3] chlorophenol [4]
Neither carcinogenic, mutagenic nor toxic for reproduction under the harmonised classification
- Hazard classes
- Acute toxicity, category 4 (Acute Tox. 4)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 2 (Aquatic Chronic 2) - Hazard statements
- H332 H312 H302 H411
- CLP notes
- C
Annex VI, entry 604-008-00-0, linked by CAS 106-48-9. 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.