What does 2-Butenoic acid do?

Used in cosmetics as a light stabiliser and a fragrance ingredient.

Is 2-Butenoic 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-Butenoic acid

CAS 15105-17-6

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

3724-65-0

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

2-Butenoic acid in plain language

What it is: On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Crotonic acid”.
Also known as Crotonic acid · But-2-enoic acid · (E)-2-BUTENOIC acid · 3-Methylacrylic acid · Acide crotonique · But-2-enoic acid (cis and trans)
Show all 10 names
Crotonsaeure · Crotonsaure · acido crotonico · trans-2-Butenoic acid
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a light stabiliser and a fragrance ingredient.
Light stabilizer
Fragrance
Flavouring
Stabiliser
Deodorant
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-Butenoic acid 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 9 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Deodorizer, Stabilizing agent, Flavouring and nutrient.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 9 composition records across product categories including Home maintenance, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Deodorizer, Stabilizing agent, Flavouring and nutrient.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for 2-Butenoic 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-Butenoic acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

3 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 →

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 2-Butenoic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

Named organisations

Home maintenanceLaboratory supplies

Typical roles

Light stabilizerFragranceFlavouringStabiliserDeodorant

See products using 2-Butenoic acid →