beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

DMDM hydantoin

CAS 6440-58-0 · 20/100 · High conf.

Concern score

20/100Minor concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

DMDM hydantoin in plain language

What it is: Also known as 1,3-DIMETHYLOL-5,5-DIMETHYLHYDANTOIN · DMDM hydantion · 1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione · 1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-imidazolidinedione · 1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin · 1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidin-2,4-dion
Show all 25 names
1,3-DI-(HYDROXYMETHYL)-5,5-DIMETHYLHYDANTOIN · 1,3-DIMETHYLOL-5,5-DIMETHYL-HYDANTOIN · 1,3-Dihydroxymethyl-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin · 1,3-bis(hidroximetil)-5,5-dimetilimidazolidina-2,4-diona · 1,3-dihydroxymethyl-5,5-dim ethylhydantoin · 2,4-Imidazolidinedione, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethyl- · DDAC0.15% · DDAC0.6% · DIMETHYLOL-5,5-DIMETHYLHYDANTOIN · Dantoin dmdmh 55 · Dantoin-DMDMH · Dmdmh · Dmdmh 55 · Glycoserve-DMDMH · Hydantoin, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethyl- · dimethyl dimethyl hydantoin (dmdmh) · dimethyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin · glydant · dmdm hydantoin constituent
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a preservative.
Preservative
Fragrance
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 — DMDM hydantoin appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.

1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione 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. DMDM hydantoin 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
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

EUCosIngActive2 entries
- Cosmetics Regulation annex V / ref 33.Source →
- DMDM Hydantoin is the organic compound that conforms to the formula: Restriction: V/33Source →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Maximum concentration: 0.6%
- Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Maximum concentration: 0.6%Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 4308 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Laboratory supplies, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Fragrance, No specific technical function.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 4308 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Laboratory supplies, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Fragrance, No specific technical function.Source →
USFDAinactive ingredient databaseRoute: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Maximum daily exposure: 3 mg
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Maximum daily exposure: 3 mgSource →
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 DMDM hydantoin. 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 DMDM hydantoin 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 2021-08-02
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated september 9, 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

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed DMDM hydantoin in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

4,308

Named organisations

Personal careLaboratory suppliesVehicleCleaning and safetyMedical/dentalCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

PreservativeFragrance

See products using DMDM hydantoin →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 327 →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside DMDM hydantoin in the catalog.