Food use
Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.
The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.
- beauty
- cleaning
- industrial
- pharma
Formaldehyde
CAS 12795-06-1 · 100/100 · High conf.
Also registered as 15 other CAS numbers
53026-80-5 · 8005-38-7 · 8006-07-3 · 8013-13-6 · 112068-71-0 · 1053659-79-2 · 1156543-56-4 · 1158237-02-5 · 1196157-74-0 · 1227476-28-9 · 1357848-44-2 · 1416946-65-0 · 1609158-91-9 · 2100305-91-5 · 50-00-0
Concern score
100/100Critical concern driven by cmr.
High confidence
Formaldehyde in plain language
Also known as Formic aldehyde · Lysoform · Oxymethylene · Paraform · Superlysoform · Aldehyde formique
Show all 32 names
Fyde · Fannoform · Floguard 1015 · Formaldehyd · Formaldehyde (gas) · Formalin LM · Formalin Taisei · Formalina · Formaline · Formalith · Karsan · Methanal · Methylene oxide · Methaldehyde · Methyl aldehyde · Morbicid · Oxomethane · Oxomethylene · Phenol-Formaldehyde Polymer · formaldehido · formaldehyde (sara 302/313) (cercla) · formaldehyde (sara iii) · formaldehyde (sara iii). vp: 760 · formalin · formol · formaldehyde solution
Used in cosmetics as a preservative, an antimicrobial and a denaturant. Formaldehyde is the aldehyde.
- Preservative
- Antimicrobial
- Denaturant
- Critical concern: classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicity (CMR). It is banned in EU cosmetics.
Why it's flagged
- Cmr
Formaldehyde is prohibited in cosmetic products under Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.
RestrictedEU EC — banned
The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.
Regulation
Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.
- In marketed US drugs
- EU Annex II — prohibited
- EU prohibited in cosmetics
- Found in consumer products
- Cleaning
- Industrial
- View source →banned
EUEC
Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products. CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 1B(),Mutagenic Cat. 2()
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2337 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Tools. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Preservative, Binder.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2337 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Tools. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Preservative, Binder.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 11 active drug products and 18 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 11 active drug products and 18 total products.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
Expert safety opinions
No expert opinion on file for Formaldehyde. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.
SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
Evidence & sources
No graded research studies for Formaldehyde yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.
Where this comes from
- Open →
CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
- Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2020-07-30
- Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated september-02-2015
- Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
- Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2029-06-13
- Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
- Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
- Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Suitability
Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.
Good fit
Fragrance avoidance
No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.
This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.
Where it has been recorded
How often EPA CPDat has listed Formaldehyde in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.
Source records
2,337
Named organisations
6
Construction and building materialsFurniture and furnishingsToolsLaboratory suppliesCleaning products and household careSpecialty occupational products
Typical roles
PreservativeAntimicrobialDenaturant
Found in these products
Cosmetic and personal-care products that list Formaldehyde are shown first. Their ingredient lists include Formaldehyde; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.
