What does Furfuryl alcohol do?

Used in consumer products as a solvent, a fragrance ingredient and a flavouring.

Is Furfuryl alcohol safe?

Critical concern: classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicity (CMR). It is banned in EU cosmetics.

beauty
cleaning
industrial

Furfuryl alcohol

CAS 98-00-0 · 100/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 2 other CAS numbers

93793-62-5 · 1262335-14-7

Concern score

100/100Critical concern driven by cmr.

High confidence

Furfuryl alcohol in plain language

What it is: Also known as (Furan-2-yl)methanol · 2- furancarbinol · Furfuralcohol · furan-2-ylmethanol · 2-(Hydroxymethyl)furan · 2-Furancarbinol
Show all 29 names
2-Furanmethanol · 2-Furanylmethanol · 2-Furfuryl alcohol · 2-Furfurylalkohol · 2-Furylcarbinol · 2-Furylmethanol · 2-Furylmethyl alcohol · 2-Hydroxymethylfuran · 5-Hydroxymethylfuran · Furfural alcohol · Furfuranol · Furfurylcarb · Furyl alcohol · Furylcarbinol · Methanol, (2-furyl)- · NCI-C56224 · alpha-Furylcarbinol · furfuryl alcohol. fl pt:162f. · furfuryl alcohol. flash pt: 167f. · furfuryl alcohol. lc50: 233 ppm · furfuryl alcohol. vap dens:3.37. fl pt:>167f. · furfuryl alcohol. vp:0.4 @ 68f. · furfuryl alcohol. vp:1.
What it does: Used in consumer products as a solvent, a fragrance ingredient and a flavouring.
Solvent
Fragrance
Flavouring
Is it a concern?: Critical concern: classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicity (CMR). It is banned in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

Furfuryl alcohol 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.

EU Annex II — prohibited
EU prohibited in cosmetics

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEC
Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products. CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 2()
banned
View source →

EUCosIngActiveCosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 1468.
- Cosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 1468.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 88 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Flavouring and nutrient, Fragrance, Solvent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 88 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Flavouring and nutrient, Fragrance, Solvent.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 Furfuryl alcohol. 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 Furfuryl alcohol yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

7 data sources

Where this comes from

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 jan 24 1989
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
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.

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

Source records

Named organisations

Raw materialsSpecialty occupational productsHome maintenanceCleaning and safetyFurniture and furnishingsCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

SolventFragranceFlavouring

See products using Furfuryl alcohol →