Is RETINAL safe to use in EU cosmetics?

RETINAL 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 116-31-4?

CAS 116-31-4 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 RETINAL?

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 5912715/10/2010

RETINAL

2,4,6,8-Nonatetraenal, 3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-, (all-E)-

RETINAL 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

This matrix separates verified ingredient rules from sources that are mapped but not yet imported. No imported rule does not mean the ingredient is permitted.

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Market	Evidence status	Records	Source language
European Union	Source mapped Inventory entry; no linked annex rule	0	English and EU languages
Great Britain	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English
Canada	Evidence linked Restricted Open this evidence	1	English and French
New Zealand	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English
ASEAN	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English and national languages
China	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	Chinese with selected English material
Japan	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	Japanese; official English translation available
South Korea	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	Korean with some English names
United States	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English
Australia	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English
Brazil	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	Portuguese with INCI crosswalks
India	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	English and Hindi
Saudi Arabia	Source mapped Official source mapped; ingredient rule not imported	0	Arabic and English

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 116-31-4

CAS 116-31-4PubChem CID 638015

Retinal

All-trans-retinal is a retinal in which all four exocyclic double bonds have E- (trans-) geometry. It has a role as a gap junctional intercellular communication inhibitor, a mouse metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a vitamin A and a retinal. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: (2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenal

Molecular formula: C20H28O
Molecular weight: 284.4 g/mol
Exact mass: 284.214015512 Da
XLogP3: 6.2
Topological polar surface area: 17.1 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 1
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

all-trans-Retinaltrans-Retinalretinaldehydevitamin A aldehyderetineneaxerophthalall-E-RetinalE-Retinal

16 more reported names

Retinene 1all-trans-RetinaldehydeVitamin A1 aldehydeall-trans-Vitamin A aldehydeall-trans-RetineneRetinyl aldehydeRetinal, all-trans(2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenalCHEBI:17898RR725D715MNSC-122757NSC-6265813,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-2,4,6,8-Nonatetraenal3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenalCHEBI:15035Retinyl Aldehydde

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:17898
ChEMBL:CHEMBL81379
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID5025998
PubMed:12034887
PubMed:9541407
PubMed:6517562
PubMed:228596
PubMed:8539

Evidence from additional scientific databases

NIH PubChem PUG-View

Exact identifier match638015

Attributed physical-property, hazard, environmental and use annotations.

Melting Point: 63 °C Source: Human Metabolome Database (HMDB)

Physical Description: Solid Source: Human Metabolome Database (HMDB)

Signal: Danger Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
GHS Hazard Statements: H302 (28.6%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]; H315 (29.3%): Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation]; H360 (72.1%): May damage fertility or the unborn child [Danger Reproductive toxicity]; H413 (72.1%): May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life [Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard] Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
Precautionary Statement Codes: P203, P264, P270, P273, P280, P301+P317, P302+P352, P318, P321, P330, P332+P317, P362+P364, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement) Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
ECHA C&L Notifications Summary: Aggregated GHS information provided per 147 reports by companies from 4 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.; Information may vary between notifications depending on impurities, additives, and other factors. The percentage value in parenthesis indicates the notified classification ratio from companies that provide hazard codes. Only hazard codes with percentage values above 10% are shown. For more detailed information, please visit ECHA C&L website. Source: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

Mapped by: Existing checksum-valid CAS to unique PubChem CID match. Retrieved: 2026-08-31. Open source record

Scientific classifications and hazard annotations provide context and do not replace the market-specific regulatory decision shown above.

Additional source coverage and match status

Source	Result	Checked
NIH PubChem PUG-View	Exact match	2026-08-31

A recorded no-match is useful evidence that the source was checked; it is not a claim that the substance does not exist elsewhere.

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 RETINAL

INCI name

RETINAL

Description

2,4,6,8-Nonatetraenal, 3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-, (all-E)-

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 59127
Imported identity: RETINAL
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for RETINAL

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Key data

CAS

116-31-4

204-135-8

Restriction

—

Function

SKIN CONDITIONING: Maintaining the skin in good condition.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

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

#24132 · RETINAL

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

RESVERATRYL TRIACETATESKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN PROTECTING

RESVERATRYL TRICAPRYLATEANTIOXIDANT, BLEACHING, SKIN CONDITIONING

RESVERATRYL TRIGLYCOLATESKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN PROTECTING

RESVERATRYL TRIS-ETHYLHEXANOATEANTIOXIDANT, BLEACHING, SKIN CONDITIONING

RETINOLSKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS

RETINOL/SACCHAROMYCES POLYPEPTIDESKIN CONDITIONING

RETINOXYTRIMETHYLSILANESKIN CONDITIONING

RETINOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE-112SKIN CONDITIONING

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 RETINAL appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists RETINAL 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.

RETINAL 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

RETINAL 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, RETINAL carries the following function designation(s):

SKIN CONDITIONING

CAS 116-31-4 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 RETINAL

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for RETINAL 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 RETINAL 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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