What does Butylene glycol do?

Used in cosmetics as a humectant, a solvent and a skin-conditioning agent.

Is Butylene glycol safe?

Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Butylene glycol

CAS 55251-78-0 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 3 other CAS numbers

18826-95-4 · 817176-75-3 · 107-88-0

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Butylene glycol in plain language

What it is: Also known as 1,3-BUTYLENE glycol · 1,3 butylene glycol · 1,3-BUTANEDIOL · 1,3-butandiol · BUTANE-1,3-DIOL · BUTAN-1,3-DIOL
Show all 21 names
beta-BUTYLENE GLYCOL · 1,3 butylene glycol, (±)- · (.+-.)-Butane-1,3-diol · (RS)-1,3-BUTANDIOL · (RS)-1,3-Butanediol · 1,3 butylene glycol, (+/-) · 1,3-Butylenglykol · 1,3-Dihydroxybutane · 1,3-butane-diol (=1,3-butylene glycol) · 1-Methyl-1,3-propanediol · 3-Hydroxy-1-butanol · Caswell No. 128GG · Chinese medicine patch · Herbal Moxibustion · Methyltrimethylene glycol
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a humectant, a solvent and a skin-conditioning agent.
Humectant
Solvent
Skin conditioning
Viscosity controlling
Fragrance
Carrier solvent
Is it a concern?: Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 9684 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Medical/dental.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Butylene glycol appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEFSAEFSA opinion5 entries
- Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 3 (FGE.10Rev3): Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA CEF)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of the substances currently on the list in the Annex to Commission Directive 96/3/EC as acceptable previous cargoes for edible fats and oils - Part I of III (EFSA CONTAM)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 2 (FGE.10Rev2): Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA CEF)Source →
- Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 1 (FGE10 Rev1) Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA AFC)Source →
- Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in contact with Food (AFC) on a request from the Commission related to Flavouring Group Evaluation 10: Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)Source →
USFDAinactive ingredient database2 entries — 2 administration routes
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Maximum daily exposure: 1400 mgSource →
- Route: TRANSDERMAL; Dosage form: SYSTEM; Potency: 8.12 mgSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
GLOBALJECFA0-4 mg/kg bwJECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-4 mg/kg bw. Functional class: carrier solvent.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-4 mg/kg bw. Functional class: carrier solvent.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 9684 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Medical/dental. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Solvent, Softener and conditioner, Humectant.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 9684 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Medical/dental. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Solvent, Softener and conditioner, Humectant.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 6 active drug products and 9 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 6 active drug products and 9 total products.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

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.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 3 (FGE.10Rev3): Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA CEF)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of the substances currently on the list in the Annex to Commission Directive 96/3/EC as acceptable previous cargoes for edible fats and oils - Part I of III (EFSA CONTAM)
  2011 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 2 (FGE.10Rev2): Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA CEF)
  2011 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Flavouring Group Evaluation 10, Revision 1 (FGE10 Rev1) Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (EFSA AFC)
  2009 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in contact with Food (AFC) on a request from the Commission related to Flavouring Group Evaluation 10: Aliphatic primary and secondary saturated and unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetals, carboxylic acids and esters containing an additional oxygenated functional group and lactones from chemical groups 9, 13 and 30 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)
  2005 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-4 mg/kg bw. Functional class: carrier solvent.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Butylene glycol yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated october 13, 2011
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2028-03-09
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

chemindustry.com

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

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

Source records

9,684

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesPersonal careMedical/dentalCleaning and safetyArts and crafts/office suppliesConstruction

Typical roles

HumectantSolventSkin conditioningViscosity controllingFragranceCarrier solvent

See products using Butylene glycol →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Butylene glycol; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 1000+ →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Butylene glycol in the catalog.