What does 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid do?

Used in cosmetics as an emollient and a skin-conditioning agent.

Is 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid safe?

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
industrial

2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid

CAS 89-86-1

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as .beta.-resorcylic acid · .beta.-resorcinolic acid · Benzoic acid, 2,4-DIHYDROXY- · Dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,4- · P-hydroxysalicylic acid · 2,4-Dihydroxy benzoic acid
Show all 16 names
2,4-Dihydroxybenzoesaure · 2,4-Resorcylic acid · 4-Carboxyresorcinol · 4-Hydroxysalicylic acid · Acide 2,4-dihydroxybenzoique · Coupler 320 · RESORCINOL-4-CARBOXYLIC acid · Beta resorcylic acid · acido 2,4-dihidroxibenzoico · beta-Resorcylic acid
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an emollient and a skin-conditioning agent.
Emollient
Skin conditioning
Flavouring
Is it a concern?: We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Industrial

EUCosIngActive2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid is the organic compound that conforms to the formula
- 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid is the organic compound that conforms to the formulaSource →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1 composition records across product categories including Industrial products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1 composition records across product categories including Industrial products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Flavouring and nutrient.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 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid. 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 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated February 8, 2019
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

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

Named organisations

Industrial products

Typical roles

EmollientSkin conditioningFlavouring

See products using 2,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC acid →