Is BEHENETH-5 safe to use in EU cosmetics?

BEHENETH-5 is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What other records share CAS 26636-40-8?

CAS 26636-40-8 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains BEHENETH-5?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 3210815/10/2010

BEHENETH-5

Docosanol, ethoxylated, 5 mol EO (average molar ratio)

BEHENETH-5 is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 26636-40-8

CAS 26636-40-8PubChem CID 86141788

Beheneth-3

IUPAC name: 2-[2-(2-docosoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethanol

Molecular formula: C28H58O4
Molecular weight: 458.8 g/mol
Exact mass: 458.43351033 Da
XLogP3: 10.2
Topological polar surface area: 47.9 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 4
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

PEG-3 behenyl ether2BZX9UMB09Triethylene glycol behenyl etherUNII-2BZX9UMB09Ethanol, 2-(2-(2-(docosyloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)-UNII-BJ4GP2IFLNRefChem:199723UNII-4G5S7DU1XT

9 more reported names

UNII-0G17KJ5M7PUNII-VEB7912T3ZUNII-21Z34J9KN8UNII-9OLW99591BUNII-313S43DM162-(2-(2-(Docosyloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy) ethanol2-(2-(2-(Docosyloxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethanolBT-01432-{2-[2-(docosyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}ethan-1-ol

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for BEHENETH-5

INCI name

BEHENETH-5

Description

Docosanol, ethoxylated, 5 mol EO (average molar ratio)

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 32108
Imported identity: BEHENETH-5
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for BEHENETH-5

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Key data

CAS

26636-40-8

—

Restriction

—

Function

SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#3154 · BEHENETH-5

Records sharing a CAS or EC identity

BEHENETH-10 BEHENETH-15 BEHENETH-20 BEHENETH-25 BEHENETH-30

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

BEHENETH-2SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENETH-20SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENETH-25CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENETH-30CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENIC ACIDCLEANSING, OPACIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENOYL STEARIC ACIDSURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENYL PG-TRIMONIUM CHLORIDEANTISTATIC, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

BEHENYL/ISOSTEARYL BEESWAXFILM FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How BEHENETH-5 appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists BEHENETH-5 as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

BEHENETH-5 is also tagged with 1 cosmetic function in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

BEHENETH-5 is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, BEHENETH-5 carries the following function designation(s):

SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CAS 26636-40-8 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Source note for BEHENETH-5

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for BEHENETH-5 from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research BEHENETH-5 and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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