Skip to main content
CosIng Checker
CosIng Checker
EU cosmetic ingredients, restrictions and safety
Login
Annex II Entry 178 20/10/2010

4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol

4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

Search similar Back to annex Compare
Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 178

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 103-16-2
CAS 103-16-2PubChem CID 7638

Monobenzone

Monobenzone is the monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone. It is used as a topical drug for medical depigmentation. It has a role as a dermatologic drug, an allergen and a melanin synthesis inhibitor. It is functionally related to a hydroquinone. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
4-phenylmethoxyphenol
Molecular formula
C13H12O2
Molecular weight
200.23 g/mol
Exact mass
200.083729621 Da
XLogP3
3.4
Topological polar surface area
29.5 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

4-(Benzyloxy)phenolHydroquinone monobenzyl etherBenoquinP-(BENZYLOXY)PHENOLBenzoquinDepigmanLeucodinineMonobenzon
16 more reported names
Monobenzyl hydroquinoneSuperlitePigmexAgerite alba4-(Phenylmethoxy)phenol4-(Benzyloxyl)phenolHydroquinone benzyl etherDermochinonaCarmifalp-Hydroxyphenyl benzyl etherAlba-DomePhenol, 4-(phenylmethoxy)-Benzyl p-hydroxyphenyl etherMonobenzyl ether hydroquinoneMonobenzonaMonobenzonum
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Evidence from additional scientific databases

EMBL-EBI ChEBI
Exact identifier matchCHEBI:34380

monobenzone

The monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone. It is used as a topical drug for medical depigmentation.

Formula
C13H12O2
Average mass
200.237 g/mol
Monoisotopic mass
200.08373 Da
Formal charge
0
  • benzyl ether — is a (CHEBI:59859)
  • dermatologic drug — has role (CHEBI:50177)
  • allergen — has role (CHEBI:50904)
  • melanin synthesis inhibitor — has role (CHEBI:64933)
  • hydroquinone — has functional parent (CHEBI:17594)
  • dermatologic drug — has role (CHEBI:50177)
  • allergen — has role (CHEBI:50904)
  • melanin synthesis inhibitor — has role (CHEBI:64933)
  • benzyl ether — is a (CHEBI:59859)
Additional curated names
4-(benzyloxy)phenol4-(Benzyloxyl)phenol4-Benzyloxy-phenol4-Benzyloxyphenol4-(Phenylmethoxy)phenolBenzyl p-hydroxyphenyl etherHydroquinone benzyl etherHydroquinone monobenzyl etherMONOBENZYL ETHER OF HYDROQUINONEMonobenzyl hydroquinoneNSC-2132p-(Benzyloxy)phenolp-Hydroxyphenyl benzyl ether
Cross-references from this source
  • CAS: 103-16-2 — ChemIDplus
  • CAS: 103-16-2 — KEGG COMPOUND
  • MANUAL_X_REF: 1834 — DrugCentral
  • MANUAL_X_REF: C14244 — KEGG COMPOUND
  • MANUAL_X_REF: D05072 — KEGG DRUG
  • MANUAL_X_REF: DB00600 — DrugBank
  • MANUAL_X_REF: EP0175701 — Patent
  • MANUAL_X_REF: LSM-5642 — LINCS
  • MANUAL_X_REF: Monobenzone — Wikipedia
  • MANUAL_X_REF: WO8504101 — Patent
  • REGISTRY_NUMBER: 1958305 — Reaxys

Mapped by: Exact CAS cross-reference in the ChEBI compound record. Source updated: 2020-09-29. Retrieved: 2026-08-31. Open source record

NIH PubChem PUG-View
Exact identifier match7638

Attributed physical-property, hazard, environmental and use annotations.

Mapped by: Existing checksum-valid CAS to unique PubChem CID match. Retrieved: 2026-08-31. Open source record

Scientific classifications and hazard annotations provide context and do not replace the market-specific regulatory decision shown above.

Additional source coverage and match status
SourceResultChecked
EMBL-EBI ChEBIExact match2026-08-31
NIH PubChem PUG-ViewExact match2026-08-31

A recorded no-match is useful evidence that the source was checked; it is not a claim that the substance does not exist elsewhere.

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 622-62-8
CAS 622-62-8PubChem CID 12150

4-Ethoxyphenol

4-Ethoxyphenol is a member of phenols and an aromatic ether. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
4-ethoxyphenol
Molecular formula
C8H10O2
Molecular weight
138.16 g/mol
Exact mass
138.068079557 Da
XLogP3
1.8
Topological polar surface area
29.5 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
2
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

Phenol, 4-ethoxy-P-ETHOXYPHENOLHydroquinone monoethyl etherp-Hydroxyphenetole4-EthyloxyphenolPhenol, p-ethoxy-4-ethoxy-phenol1-Ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzene
16 more reported names
Ethoxyphenol, p-NSC 9885FEMA No. 3695Ether monoethylique de l'hydroquinonep-ethoxy-phenolEINECS 210-748-1BRN 1907114UNII-605352N8AQNSC-9885Ether monoethylique de l'hydroquinone [French]HYDROQUINONE MONO ETHYL ETHERHYDROQUINONE MONOETHYL ETHER [FHFI]FEMA 36954-06-00-05719 (Beilstein Handbook Reference)RefChem:98845210-748-1
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Chemical name

4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

See every entry this act set

Key data

CAS
103-16-2 / 622-62-8
EC
203-083-3 / 210-748-1
Annex
II
Entry number
178

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.

Annex II 180
Nearby record in the same annex

Fenozolone (INN)

CAS: 15302-16-6
EC: 239-339-6
Annex II 182
Nearby record in the same annex

Ethylene oxide

CAS: 75-21-8
EC: 200-849-9

What Annex II means for 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol

4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol 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).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol is listed in Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and is prohibited as an intentionally added cosmetic ingredient. Article 17 provides a narrow exception for unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice, provided the product remains safe under Article 3.

CAS 103-16-2 / 622-62-8 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
Open INCI Checker

Source note for Annex II record 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol

This page summarizes one Annex II record for 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol 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 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

View sourcesView updates

Tools & next steps

Check your formula

Paste a full INCI list to detect 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol and other flagged EU annex records in one pass.

INCI Checker

Compare entries

Compare 4-Benzyloxyphenol and 4-ethoxyphenol side by side with another annex record to review differences in restrictions, concentrations and annex placement.

Compare

Browse the annex

See all records in Annex II and compare regulatory conditions across substances in this annex.

Open Annex II