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Cantharidin

CAS 56-25-7 · 100/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

1351357-43-1

Cantharidin chemical structure

Concern score

100/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Cantharidin in plain language

What it is

Also known as Cantharidine · Cantaridina · Cantharides camphor · EXO-1,2-CIS-DIMETHYL-3,6-EPOXYHEXAHYDROPHTHALIC anhydride · HEXAHYDRO-3A,7A-DIMETHYL-4,7-EPOXYISOBENZOFURAN-1,3-DIONE · VP-102 drug/device delivering cantharidin

Show all 15 names

1,2-Dimethyl-3,6-epoxyperhydrophthalic anhydride · 4,7-Epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione, hexahydro-3a,7a-dimethyl- · Cantharidin 0.7% · Cantharone · Kantaridin · Kantharidin · Ycanth · cantharidin (sara iii) · Cantharidinum

What it does

We don't have a plain-language description for Cantharidin yet.

Is it a concern?
Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is banned in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

Cantharidine 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

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Industrial
  • EUEC

    Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products.

    banned
    View source →
  • EUCosIngActiveCosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 70.
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2 composition records across product categories including unclassified products.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2 composition records across product categories including unclassified products.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 2 total products.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 2 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 Cantharidin. 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 Cantharidin yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

8 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →
  • EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes

    regulatory · updated 2010-10-17

    Open →
  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated 2020-08-31

    Open →
  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →
  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2026-12-31

    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

    Open →
Reference links (1)
Openfda substance

accessdata.fda.gov

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

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 Cantharidin in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

2

Named organisations

3

See products using Cantharidin →