What does Hexadecane do?

Used in cosmetics as an emollient.

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

beauty
food
industrial
pharma

Hexadecane

CAS 544-76-3

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Hexadecane in plain language

What it is: Also known as Hexadecane, n- · N-cetane · N-hexadecane · C16H34 · Cetane · Cns
Show all 15 names
Cetan · Hexadecan · analytical standard Hexadecane · Hexadecane-1-D 98 atom % d · Hexadekan · Parafol 16-97 · Pentadecane, methyl- · Zetan · hexadecano
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an emollient.
Emollient
Solvent
Fragrance
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. Hexadecane appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Pharma
Food
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveHexadecane is the organic compound that conforms to the formula:
- Hexadecane is the organic compound that conforms to the formula:Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 31 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Food and drug, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient, No specific technical function.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 31 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Food and drug, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient, No specific technical function.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 Hexadecane. 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 Hexadecane 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 January 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.

Food use

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.

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

Source records

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesFood and drugSpecialty occupational productsPersonal careConstruction and building materials

Typical roles

EmollientSolventFragranceFlavouring

See products using Hexadecane →