Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.
Chemical identity and properties

Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid is a fluoroalkanoic acid that is perfluorinated octanoic acid. It has a role as an endocrine disruptor, a surfactant, a xenobiotic, a carcinogenic agent and an environmental contaminant. It is functionally related to an octanoic acid and a perfluorooctane. — ChEBI
- IUPAC name
- 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-pentadecafluorooctanoic acid
- Molecular formula
- C8HF15O2
- Molecular weight
- 414.07 g/mol
- Exact mass
- 413.9737017 Da
- XLogP3
- 4.9
- Topological polar surface area
- 37.3 Ų
- Hydrogen-bond donors
- 1
- Hydrogen-bond acceptors
- 17
- Covalent units
- 1
- Defined stereocentres
- 0
Also known as
16 more reported names
External database identifiers
- ChEBI:CHEBI:35549
- ChEMBL:CHEMBL172988
- EPA DTXSID:DTXSID8031865
- PubMed:23109596
- PubMed:23032776
- PubMed:22992575
- PubMed:22964400
- PubMed:22953896
- PubMed:22946434
- PubMed:22946157
- PubMed:22941726
- PubMed:22935244
- PubMed:22913426
- PubMed:22897837
- PubMed:22894115
Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.
Record details
Chemical name
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Chemical / IUPAC name
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Regulatory information
CMR
| Category | Carcinogenic | Mutagenic | Reprotoxic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat. 1B | — | — | ✓ |
| Cat. 2 | ✓ | — | — |
Key data
Related records for Perfluorooctanoic acid
Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.
Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate
N-Ethyl-2-pyrrolidone; 1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-one
Proquinazid (ISO); 6-iodo-2-propoxy-3-propylquinazolin-4(3H)-one
Bifenthrin (ISO); (2-methylbiphenyl-3-yl)methyl rel-(1R,3R)-3-[(1Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-…
Sulcotrione (ISO); 2-[2-chloro-4-(methylsulfonyl)benzoyl]cyclohexane-1,3-dione
2-Ethylhexyl 10-ethyl-4,4-dioctyl-7-oxo-8-oxa-3,5-dithia-4-stannatetradecanoate
Aclonifen (ISO); 2-chloro-6-nitro-3-phenoxyaniline
2-Ethylhexyl 10-ethyl-4-[[2-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-2-oxoethyl]thio]-4-methyl-7-oxo-8-oxa-3,5-dithia-4-…
2-Ethylhexyl 10-ethyl-4,4-dimethyl-7-oxo-8-oxa-3,5-dithia-4-stannatetradecanoate
What Annex II means for Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid is listed as a prohibited substance under Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and must not be intentionally added. Article 17 separately addresses unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and compatible with the Article 3 safety requirement.
Formulators must screen their ingredients and raw materials to ensure none contain this substance. Suppliers should provide documentation confirming absence when requested.
The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.
Compliance checklist
- Verify this substance is absent from all raw materials and finished formulations.
- Request absence confirmation or CoA from raw material suppliers.
- Document the screening result in the Product Information File (PIF).
- This substance has CMR classification. Review the CMR table above and verify current Annex II/III status before use.
Frequently asked questions
Source note for Annex II record Perfluorooctanoic acid
This page summarizes one Annex II record for Perfluorooctanoic acid from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.
Use this record page to review Annex II conditions for Perfluorooctanoic acid, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.
Tools & next steps
Check your formula
Paste a full INCI list to detect Perfluorooctanoic acid and other flagged EU annex records in one pass.
INCI CheckerCompare entries
Compare Perfluorooctanoic acid side by side with another annex record to review differences in restrictions, concentrations and annex placement.
CompareBrowse the annex
See all records in Annex II and compare regulatory conditions across substances in this annex.
Open Annex II