What does T-butyl methyl ether do?

Used in cosmetics as a solvent.

Is T-butyl methyl ether safe?

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

beauty
industrial

T-butyl methyl ether

CAS 1634-04-4

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

T-butyl methyl ether in plain language

What it is: Also known as Methyl tert-butyl ether · Tert-butylmethyl ether · Tert-butyl methyl ether · 2-Methoxy-2-methylpropane · Mtbe · (methyl)(tert-butyl)ether
Show all 17 names
(tert-Butyl)methylether · 1,1-Dimethylethyl methyl ether · 2-Methoxy-2-methyl propane · 2-Methyl-2-methoxypropane · Methyl t-butyl ether · Methyl 1,1-dimethylethyl ether · Methyl tertiary-butyl ether · Propane, 2-methoxy-2-methyl- · Tert-butoxymethane · methyl tert-butyl ether (sara iii) · methyl tert-butyl ether (mtbe)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a solvent.
Solvent
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. T-butyl methyl ether appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 704 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Specialty occupational products, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Solvent, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 704 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Specialty occupational products, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Solvent, 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 T-butyl methyl ether. 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 T-butyl methyl ether 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 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

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 T-butyl methyl ether in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

704

Named organisations

VehicleSpecialty occupational productsLaboratory suppliesIndustrial productsLandscape/yardMedical/dental

Typical roles

SolventFlavouring

See products using T-butyl methyl ether →