Skip to content

GREENVEIL

  • beauty
  • cleaning
  • food
  • industrial

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose

CAS 9004-65-3 · 40/100 · High conf.

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose in plain language

What it is

On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose”.

Also known as Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose · hydroxy propyl methyl-cellulose · hydroxypropyl methycellulose · hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose · methylhydroxypropylcellulosum · thickener gel

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a cleansing agent, an antistatic agent and a binder.

  • Cleansing
  • Antistatic
  • Binding
  • Emulsion stabilising
  • Film forming
  • Viscosity controlling
Is it a concern?
Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EFSA OpenFoodTox genotoxicity classification: Ambiguous. Source: EFSA ANS 2015

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. Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Pharma
  • Food
  • Industrial
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinion3 entries
    • Safety and efficacy of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
    • Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives (EFSA ANS)Source →
    • Safety of a change in specifications for the food additive hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464) (EFSA ANS)Source →
  • EUCosIngActiveCellulose, 2-hydroxypropyl methyl ether
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1000 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Viscosity modifier, Binder, Surfactant (surface active agent).
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 1000 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Viscosity modifier, Binder, Surfactant (surface active agent).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

    • Safety and efficacy of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)

      2020 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

    • Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives (EFSA ANS)

      2018 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

    • Safety of a change in specifications for the food additive hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464) (EFSA ANS)

      2015 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose 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 →

  • EFSA OpenFoodTox

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-02

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated september 28, 2015

    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 Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

1,000

Named organisations

6

Construction and building materialsSpecialty occupational productsHome maintenanceBatteriesPersonal careCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

CleansingAntistaticBindingEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingViscosity controlling
See products using Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose →

Catalog

Found in these products

Cosmetic and personal-care products that list Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose are shown first. Their ingredient lists include Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 212 →Find products without it →