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Annex II Entry 393 15/10/2010

Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

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Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 393

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 75-05-8
CAS 75-05-8PubChem CID 6342

Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile is a nitrile that is hydrogen cyanide in which the hydrogen has been replaced by a methyl group. It has a role as a polar aprotic solvent and an EC 3.5.1.4 (amidase) inhibitor. It is a volatile organic compound and an aliphatic nitrile. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
acetonitrile
Molecular formula
C2H3N
Molecular weight
41.05 g/mol
Exact mass
41.026549100 Da
XLogP3
0.0
Topological polar surface area
23.8 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
1
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

Methyl cyanideCyanomethaneEthanenitrileEthyl nitrileMethane, cyano-MethanecarbonitrileAcetonitrilCyanure de methyl
16 more reported names
MethylkyanidUSAF EK-488MeCNRCRA waste number U003NCI-C60822AI3-00327Z072SB282NNSC-7593DTXCID909CHEBI:38472RefChem:6609200-835-2Methylkyanid [Czech]Cyanure de methyl [French]Acetonitril [German, Dutch]Acetonitrile, anhydrous
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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

Acetonitrile

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

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SCCS opinions

Key data

CAS
75-05-8
EC
200-835-2
Annex
II
Entry number
393

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

Annex II 399
Nearby record in the same annex

Lidocaine (INN)

CAS: 137-58-6
EC: 205-302-8

What Annex II means for Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile 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. Acetonitrile 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 75-05-8 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Acetonitrile 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.
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Source note for Annex II record Acetonitrile

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

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