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Dimethyl ether

CAS 157621-61-9 · 20/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 2 other CAS numbers

451449-67-5 · 115-10-6

Dimethyl ether chemical structure

Concern score

20/100Minor concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Dimethyl ether in plain language

What it is

Also known as Methoxymethane · (CH3)2O · 1,1'-OXYBISMETHANE · CH3-O-CH3 · Rein dimethylaether · Dimethylaether, techn.

Show all 20 names

Demeon D · Dimethyl oxide · Dimethylether · Dymel A · methyl Ether · Methane, 1,1'-oxybis- · Methane, oxybis- · Methyl oxide · Oxybismethane · Wood ether · dimethyl ether (dme) · dimetil eter · methyl ether vp: 760 · methyl ether. vp:750.

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a solvent, a propellant and a thickener.

  • Solvent
  • Propellant
  • Viscosity controlling
  • Thickener
Is it a concern?
Minor 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 1051 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Home maintenance.

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. Dimethyl ether appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Industrial
  • EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
    • Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinionScientific Opinion on the safety of use of dimethyl ether as an extraction solvent under the intended conditions of use and the proposed maximum residual limits (EFSA CEF)
    • Scientific Opinion on the safety of use of dimethyl ether as an extraction solvent under the intended conditions of use and the proposed maximum residual limits (EFSA CEF)Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1051 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Propellants, non-motive (blowing agents), Solvent, Viscosity modifier.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1051 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Industrial products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Propellants, non-motive (blowing agents), Solvent, Viscosity modifier.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.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 the safety of use of dimethyl ether as an extraction solvent under the intended conditions of use and the proposed maximum residual limits (EFSA CEF)

      2015 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Dimethyl ether 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 →

  • EFSA OpenFoodTox

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated july 27, 2021

    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.

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

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Dimethyl ether in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

1,051

Named organisations

6

Construction and building materialsIndustrial productsHome maintenancePesticidesRaw materialsVehicle

Typical roles

SolventPropellantViscosity controllingThickener
See products using Dimethyl ether →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 49 →Find products without it →