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Annex II Entry 70 17/10/2010

Cantharidine

Cantharidine 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: 70

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 56-25-7
CAS 56-25-7PubChem CID 5944

Cantharidin

Cantharidin is a monoterpenoid with an epoxy-bridged cyclic dicarboxylic anhydride structure secreted by many species of blister beetle, and most notably by the Spanish fly, Lytta vesicatoria. Natural toxin inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. It has a role as a herbicide and an EC 3.1.3.16 (phosphoprotein phosphatase) inhibitor. It is a monoterpenoid and a cyclic dicarboxylic anhydride. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
(1S,2R,6S,7R)-2,6-dimethyl-4,10-dioxatricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decane-3,5-dione
Molecular formula
C10H12O4
Molecular weight
196.20 g/mol
Exact mass
196.07355886 Da
XLogP3
0.6
Topological polar surface area
52.6 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
4
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
4

Also known as

CantharoneCANTHARIDINECantharides camphorKantaridinKantharidinCantaridinaCantharidinum1,2-Dimethyl-3,6-epoxyperhydrophthalic anhydride
16 more reported names
exo-1,2-cis-Dimethyl-3,6-epoxyhexahydrophthalic anhydride(3ar,4s,7r,7as)-3a,7a-dimethylhexahydro-4,7-epoxy-2-benzofuran-1,3-dioneIGL471WQ8PNSC-61805YCANTH2,3-Dimethyl-7-oxabicyclo(2.2.1)heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydrideCHEBI:642137-Oxabicyclo(2.2.1)heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride, 2,3-dimethyl-Hexahydro-3aalpha,7aalpha-dimethyl-4beta,7beta-epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione(1S,2R,6S,7R)-2,6-dimethyl-4,10-dioxatricyclo(5.2.1.02,6)decane-3,5-dioneRefChem:123249CANTHARIDIN 0.7%200-263-34,7-Epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione, hexahydro-3a,7a-dimethyl-, (3aalpha,4beta,7beta,7aalpha)-Cantharidin [USAN]4,7-Epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione, hexahydro-3a,7a-dimethyl-, (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)-rel-
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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

Cantharidine

Chemical / IUPAC name

4,7-Epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione, hexahydro-3a,7a-dimethyl-, (3aalpha,4beta,7beta,7aalpha)-; 7-Oxabicyclo(2.2.1)heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride, 2,3-dimethyl-; (1R,2S)-Hexahydro-1,2-dimethyl-3,6-epoxyphthalic anhydride

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

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Key data

CAS
56-25-7
EC
200-263-3
Annex
II
Entry number
70

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

Annex II 74
Nearby record in the same annex

Catalase

CAS: 9001-05-2
EC: 232-577-1

What Annex II means for Cantharidine

Cantharidine 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. Cantharidine 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 56-25-7 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Cantharidine 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 Cantharidine

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

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