VINYL ACETATE
Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 29901
- Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II)
VINYL ACETATE: Prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II, entry 1565), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Cleansing: helps to keep the body surface clean.
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 carcinogenic, 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 VINYL ACETATE to this Annex II entry.
- Entry
- Annex II, No 1565
- Substance
- Vinyl acetate
- CAS
- 108-05-4
- EC
- 203-545-4
- CMR
- Carcinogenic Cat. 2()
Dates in the act (1)
- Entry into force on 12 June 2019
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
- 38882
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 108-05-4
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 203-545-4
- Declared functions
- Cleansing
- Wikidata
- Q377339
- PubChem
- 7904
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.003.224
- InChIKey
- XTXRWKRVRITETP-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.
vinyl acetate
CMR Carc. 2
- Hazard classes
- Flam. Liq. 2
Carc. 2
Acute Tox. 4
STOT SE 3 - Hazard statements
- H225 H351 H332 H335
- CLP notes
- D
Already prohibited in cosmetics (Annex II).
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.
China
- Prohibited: 乙酸乙烯酯 (Vinyl acetate （CAS No. 108-05-4）)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 1278, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 1278 ; TID reprint p.48.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.