Why does CAS 81-15-2 appear in more than one EU cosmetic annex?

A substance identified by CAS 81-15-2 may appear in multiple EU cosmetic regulation annexes when it is subject to different conditions in different contexts — for example, restricted under Annex III with specific conditions, while also appearing in Annex IV as an approved colorant under separate entry conditions. Each entry must be reviewed individually.

How do I check if my formula contains a substance with CAS 81-15-2?

Use the INCI Checker on CosIng Checker with INCI names, CAS numbers or EC numbers. Paste CAS 81-15-2 to screen it directly, then review every linked annex record and supplier document.

CAS 1 record

CAS 81-15-2

Q: How do I use CAS 81-15-2 for compliance screening?

Cross-reference CAS 81-15-2 against your raw material specification sheets and CoA documents. When it appears in Annex II, verify absence. When it appears in Annex III, verify that concentration limits and product type conditions are met. All annex entries sharing this CAS number are listed on this page.

CAS 81-15-2 matches 1 EU annex record across Annex II–VI of Regulation 1223/2009.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 81-15-2

CAS 81-15-2PubChem CID 62329

Musk Xylene

Musk xylene is a C-nitro compound that is m-xylene bearing three nitro substituents at positions 2, 4 and 6 as well as a tert-butyl group at position 5. It has a role as a fragrance, a carcinogenic agent and an explosive. It is functionally related to a m-xylene and a 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: 1-tert-butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene

Molecular formula: C12H15N3O6
Molecular weight: 297.26 g/mol
Exact mass: 297.09608521 Da
XLogP3: 3.8
Topological polar surface area: 137.0 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 6
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

Musk xylolXylene musk2,4,6-Trinitro-1,3-dimethyl-5-tert-butylbenzene5-tert-Butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene5-tert-Butyl-2,4,6-trinitroxylene2,4,6-Trinitro-5-tert-butyl-m-xylenem-Xylene, 5-tert-butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-2,4,6-Trinitro-3,5-dimethyl-1-tert-butylbenzene

16 more reported names

1-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene1ZAO16GU5KBenzene, 1-tert-butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitro-BENZENE, 1-(1,1-DIMETHYLETHYL)-3,5-DIMETHYL-2,4,6-TRINITRO-NSC-59844CHEBI:773202,4,6-Trinitro-3,5-dimethyl-tert-butylbenzeneRefChem:926263201-329-4NSC 598441-tert-butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitro-benzene1-(tert-butyl)-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzeneCCRIS 2391EINECS 201-329-4UN2956UNII-1ZAO16GU5K

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:77320
ChEMBL:CHEMBL228513
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID1021405
PubMed:22320691
PubMed:21955354
PubMed:21645612
PubMed:15025169
PubMed:10630706
PubMed:9441723
PubMed:9397191

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

Records for CAS 81-15-2

1 total

Annex

III

Entry

MUSK XYLENE

5-tert-Butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene

All cosmetic products, with the exception of oral products Note: 'Due to environmental concerns, musk xylene is included in the authorisation list (Annex IV) of REACH. Musk xylene cannot be placed on the market or used…

201-329-4

Max concentration CMR

How CAS 81-15-2 is used on this site

CAS 81-15-2 is the Chemical Abstracts Service identifier used to pin this page to a specific substance. In the current dataset, 1 EU annex record shares this identifier, which helps you cross-check whether the same substance appears under one regulatory context or several.

Use this page when a supplier specification, SDS or raw-material dossier gives you CAS 81-15-2 and you need to see every linked Annex II–VI record in one place. The entry cards above are the quickest route to concentration limits, warnings, annex placement and product-type conditions.

Frequently asked questions

A substance identified by CAS 81-15-2 may appear in multiple EU cosmetic regulation annexes when it is subject to different conditions in different contexts. For example, a substance might be restricted under Annex III with specific conditions, and the same CAS might also appear in Annex IV as an approved colorant under separate entry conditions. Each entry must be reviewed individually.

Cross-reference the CAS number against your raw material specification sheets and CoA documents. When a CAS appears in Annex II, verify absence. When it appears in Annex III, verify that concentration limits and product type conditions are met in your formulation. All annex entries sharing this CAS number are listed above.

A CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (USA) and is globally recognised. An EC number is a European Commission identifier from inventories such as EINECS, ELINCS or the NLP list. Both identifiers may appear in EU cosmetic annex entries. Some substances have both, some have only one, and some older entries may have neither.

The INCI Checker accepts ingredient names, CAS numbers and EC numbers. Check this CAS number directly, then verify the result against supplier specification sheets and every linked annex condition.

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