What does Metacresol do?

Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial and a fragrance ingredient.

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

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Metacresol

CAS 27289-33-4

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

108-39-4

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Metacresol in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “M-cresol”.
Also known as M-cresol · 3-Methylphenol · M-cresylic acid · M-kresol · 1-Hydroxy-3-methylbenzene · 1-METHYL-3-HYDROXYBENZENE
Show all 24 names
3-CRESOL · 3-Hydroxytoluene · 3-methyl phenol · 3-methylphenol (sara iii) · Cresol, m- · Franklin Cresolis · M-methylphenol · Phenol, 3-methyl- · Rover's Dog Shampoo · hydroxy-3-methylbenzene · m-Cresole · m-Hydroxytoluene · m-cresol (sara 313) (cercla) · m-cresol (sara iii) · m-cresol (sara iii). percentage (wt): 2000 ug/ml. · m-oxytoluene · m-toluol · meta-Cresol
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial and a fragrance ingredient.
Antimicrobial
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. Metacresol appears in these published regulatory listings.

Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database7 entries — 4 administration routes
- Route: INTRADERMAL; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 0.16 %w/vSource →
- Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 0.1 %w/vSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 0.3 %w/vSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 0.3 %w/vSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Potency: 0.3 %w/vSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SUSPENSION; Potency: 0.16 %w/vSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: 0.1 %w/vSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 40 composition records across product categories including Batteries, Laboratory supplies, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Fragrance, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 40 composition records across product categories including Batteries, Laboratory supplies, Vehicle. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Fragrance, 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 Metacresol. 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 Metacresol 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 →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated February 8, 2019
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
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 Metacresol in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

Named organisations

BatteriesLaboratory suppliesVehicleIndustrial productsMedical/dentalFood and drug

Typical roles

AntimicrobialPerfumingSolventFragranceFlavouring

See products using Metacresol →