What does Butyl propionate do?

Used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient.

Is Butyl propionate safe?

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

beauty
industrial

Butyl propionate

CAS 816-50-2

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

590-01-2

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Butyl propionate in plain language

What it is: Also known as N-butyl propionate · Butyl propanoate · N-butyl propanoate · Butyl ester propanoic acid · 4-02-00-00708 (Beilstein Handbook Reference) · Butyl ester of propanoic acid
Show all 15 names
Butyl propionate (natural) · Propionic Acid Butyl Ester · UN1914 · UNII-2NXC4AK99E · n-Butyl n-propionate · n-butylpropionate · propanoic acid butylester · propanoic acid, butyl ester # (=butylpropionate) · propanoic aic butylester (=butylpropionat)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient.
Perfuming
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. Butyl propionate 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 20 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient, Solvent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 20 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient, 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 Butyl propionate. 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 Butyl propionate 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

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

Source records

Named organisations

Home maintenanceVehicle

Typical roles

PerfumingSolventFragranceFlavouring

See products using Butyl propionate →