PHENYLACETONITRILE

Banned in the EU CAS: 140-29-4CosIng #40631

PHENYLACETONITRILE is banned in cosmetics in the EU — Annex II, entry 424 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Review the regulatory details and Safety Gate alerts.

Regulatory status as of 2026-08-28 (per the CosIng database).

About the ingredient

Phenylacetonitrile

EU regulatory status

Annex of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: II/424

Source: the European Commission's official CosIng database and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products. How we assess ingredients — full methodology.

Last updated:

Functions in cosmetics

Frequently asked questions

  • Is PHENYLACETONITRILE safe in cosmetics?

    PHENYLACETONITRILE is banned in the EU under Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and may not be used in cosmetics placed on the EU market. Cosmetics containing this substance are withdrawn by national inspectorates and reported to the EU Safety Gate database.

  • In which annex of Regulation 1223/2009 is PHENYLACETONITRILE listed?

    PHENYLACETONITRILE is listed under reference II/424 in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. The first part (Roman numeral) indicates the annex: II – prohibited substances, III – substances restricted by conditions, IV – permitted colorants, V – permitted preservatives, VI – permitted UV filters.

  • What functions does PHENYLACETONITRILE perform in cosmetics?

    According to the European Commission's CosIng database, PHENYLACETONITRILE performs the following functions in cosmetics: FRAGRANCE. Functions are defined in the CosIng glossary and describe the technological role of a substance in the finished product.

  • Are there Safety Gate alerts concerning PHENYLACETONITRILE?

    Our copy of the EU Safety Gate database currently contains no alerts linking PHENYLACETONITRILE to a cosmetic recall. The database is refreshed regularly from the European Commission's official Safety Gate system.

Want to know when a cosmetic on your shelf gets recalled?

BeautyGuard lets you add cosmetics to a watchlist and cross-check them against the EU Safety Gate database. See plan details and email notifications on the pricing page.