What does Chlorocresol do?

Used in cosmetics as a preservative and an antimicrobial. p-Chloro-m-Cresol is the substituted phenol.

Is Chlorocresol safe?

Minor concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
industrial
pharma

Chlorocresol

CAS 59-50-7 · 20/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

1321-10-4

Concern score

20/100Minor concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Chlorocresol in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “P-chloro-m-cresol”.
Also known as P-chloro-m-cresol · 4-Chloro-3-methylphenol · 1-Chloro-2-methyl-4-hydroxybenzene · 2-Chloro-5-hydroxytoluene · 3-Methyl-4-chlorophenol · 4-Chloro-3-cresol
Show all 27 names
4-Chloro-5-methylphenol · 4-Chloro-m-cresol · 6-Chloro-3-hydroxytoluene · Aptal · Baktol · Baktolan · Chloro-m-cresol · Chloromethylphenol · Candaseptic · Chlorcresolum · Chlorkresolum · Ottafact · Parachlorometacresol · Pcmc · Peritonan · Phenol, 4-chloro-3-methyl- · Preventol CMK · Raschit · Raschit K · p-chloro-m-cresol (sara iii) · chlorocresolum
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a preservative and an antimicrobial. p-Chloro-m-Cresol is the substituted phenol.
Preservative
Antimicrobial
Is it a concern?: Minor concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

What the listings say

Permitted, with conditions — Chlorocresol appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.

Chlorocresol is listed in Annex V of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (preservatives allowed in cosmetic products).

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

No restrictions found. Chlorocresol appears in these published regulatory listings.

EU Annex V — permitted preservative
EU permitted preservative
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Industrial

EUCosIngActive2 entries
- Cosmetics Regulation annex V / ref 24.Source →
- p-Chloro-m-Cresol is the substituted phenol that conforms to the formula: Restriction: V/24Source →
USFDAinactive ingredient database2 entries
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Maximum daily exposure: 5 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM, AUGMENTED; Potency: 0.1 %w/wSource →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Product types: Not to be used in products applied on mucous membranes Maximum concentration: 0.2%
- Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Product types: Not to be used in products applied on mucous membranes Maximum concentration: 0.2%Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 31 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Biocide.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 31 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Biocide.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 Chlorocresol. 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 Chlorocresol 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 2010-10-25
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated November 2014
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
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 →

Suitability

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

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

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.

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

Source records

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesPersonal care

Typical roles

PreservativeAntimicrobial

See products using Chlorocresol →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Chlorocresol; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 6 →Find products without it →