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Annex V Entry 60 27/07/2020

HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB

4-(3-ethoxy-4-hy­droxyphenyl)bu­tan-2-one

HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB appears in Annex V as a positive-list preservative entry for EU cosmetics. Maximum concentration in this record: 0.7 %.

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Permitted preservative— Annex V, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Max conc.: 0.7 %
Entry: 60

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 569646-79-3
CAS 569646-79-3PubChem CID 45094126

4-(3-Ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone

Ethylzingerone is a methyl ketone that is 4-phenylbutan-2-one in which the phenyl ring is substituted at positions 3 and 4 by ethoxy and hydroxy groups, respectively. It is a preservative with antimicrobial activity and a good safety profile that has been approved for use in cosmetics. It is structurally similar to zingerone, a phytochemical found in the root of the ginger plant Zingiber officinale. It has a role as an antimicrobial cosmetic preservative, an antibacterial agent and an antifungal agent. It is a member of phenols, an aromatic ether and a methyl ketone. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
4-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-one
Molecular formula
C12H16O3
Molecular weight
208.25 g/mol
Exact mass
208.109944368 Da
XLogP3
1.2
Topological polar surface area
46.5 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
3
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

ethylzingeroneUNII-TH7XI54W45TH7XI54W452-Butanone, 4-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-CHEBI:172922RefChem:97147HYDROXYETHOXYPHENYL BUTANONE2-Butanone,4-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-(7CI)
4 more reported names
Hydroxyethoxyphenyl butanone [INCI]4-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl)butan-2-oneCS-0256997EN300-65784
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

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

Maximum concentration

0.7 %

Product type

Allowed for use as a preservative in rinse off, oral care and leave-on cosmetic products at a maximum concentration of 0,7 % in ready for use preparation.

INCI glossary name

HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB

Chemical name

4-(3-ethoxy-4-hy­droxyphenyl)bu­tan-2-one

Chemical / IUPAC name

4-(3-ethoxy-4-hy­droxyphenyl)bu­tan-2-one

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2019/1858

See every entry this act set

SCCS opinions

Key data

CAS
569646-79-3
EC
933-435-8
Annex
V
Entry number
60

Inventory links for HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB

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

Annex V 52
Nearby record in the same annex

SILVER CHLORIDE

CAS: 7783-90-6
EC: 232-033-3
Annex V 50
Nearby record in the same annex

chlorphenesin

CAS: 104-29-0
EC: 203-192-6
Annex V 48
Nearby record in the same annex

GLUTARAL

CAS: 111-30-8
EC: 203-856-5

What Annex V means for HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB

HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB is an approved preservative listed in Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Only substances on this positive list may be used as cosmetic preservatives in the EU.

Each preservative entry specifies maximum permitted concentrations and applicable product scope. Concentrations must not exceed the listed maximum. Some preservatives require warning statements on the product label.

This record is linked to 1 CosIng inventory ingredient for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Use concentration must not exceed: 0.7 %
  • Verify the preservative is effective at the permitted concentration for your matrix.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB is listed in Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 as a permitted preservative. It may be used in cosmetics up to the maximum concentration specified above, within the permitted product scope.

CAS 569646-79-3 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB 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.

The maximum concentration of 0.7 % applies to the concentration of the substance in the ready-to-use cosmetic product. When the substance is supplied as part of a blend or mixture, the calculation must account for the contribution of all sources in the formulation. The combined concentration must not exceed the stated limit.

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 V record HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB

This page summarizes one Annex V record for HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex V conditions for HYDROXYETHOXY­PHENYL BUTANONE, HEPB, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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