Body & Beauty / Compounds / 2,3-Pentanedione

2,3-Pentanedione on your skin: a safety profile

High risk

GHS Danger classification. May cause allergic skin reaction.

What is 2,3-pentanedione?

The IUPAC name is pentane-2,3-dione.

Also known as: pentane-2,3-dione, Acetylpropionyl, Acetyl propionyl, 2,3-Pentadione.

IUPAC name
pentane-2,3-dione
CAS number
600-14-6
Molecular formula
C5H8O2
Molecular weight
100.12 g/mol
SMILES
CCC(=O)C(C)=O
PubChem CID
11747

Risk for people

High risk

GHS Danger classification. May cause allergic skin reaction.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified 2,3-Pentanedione.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: None, 0 positive / 2 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter 2,3-pentanedione

  • Consumer Products — E-cigarette liquids, Butter flavoring, Food flavoring
  • Fragrance — perfume, cologne, scented personal care products, household fragrance products, candles
    Identified in Fragrance Ingredient Safety Priority Research database (2,325 ingredients)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to 2,3-Pentanedione:

  • Fragrance-free formulations
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for scented products
    Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
  • Essential oil-based fragrances (with disclosure)
    Trade-offs: Natural does not mean safe — many essential oils are skin sensitizers
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

Is 2,3-pentanedione safe for you?

GHS Danger classification. May cause allergic skin reaction.

What products contain 2,3-pentanedione?

2,3-Pentanedione appears in: E-cigarette liquids (Consumer products); Butter flavoring (Consumer products); perfume (Fragrance); cologne (Fragrance).

See 2,3-Pentanedione in the body app

Look up products containing 2,3-pentanedione, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 11747 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID6051435 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 600-14-6 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →