Body & Beauty / Compounds / 2-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile

2-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Fragrance nitrile — potential metabolic concern from cyanide release via cytochrome P450 oxidation; magnitude depends on specific structure; some nitriles are negligible risk, others release significant HCN

What is 2-cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile?

Also known as: alpha-cyclohexylidene benzeneacetonitrile, RefChem:555479, Benzeneacetonitrile, a-cyclohexylidene-, cyclohexylidene(phenyl)acetonitrile.

IUPAC name
2-cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile
CAS number
10461-98-0
Molecular formula
C14H15N
Molecular weight
197.27 g/mol
SMILES
C1CCC(=C(C#N)C2=CC=CC=C2)CC1
PubChem CID
66327

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Fragrance nitrile — potential metabolic concern from cyanide release via cytochrome P450 oxidation; magnitude depends on specific structure; some nitriles are negligible risk, others release significant HCN

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified 2-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA2020restrictionIFRA restriction — nitrile class systemic toxicity limits

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-cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile

  • Personal Care — perfume, fragrance formulations
  • 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-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile:

  • Hedione
    Trade-offs: Alternative fragrance ingredient; individual safety profile should be assessed per IFRA standards; sensitization potential varies by compound; patch testing recommended for sensitive individuals.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Phenylethyl alcohol
    Trade-offs: Alternative fragrance ingredient; individual safety profile should be assessed per IFRA standards; sensitization potential varies by compound; patch testing recommended for sensitive individuals.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain 2-cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile?

2-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile appears in: perfume (Personal care); fragrance formulations (Personal care); perfume (Fragrance); cologne (Fragrance).

See 2-Cyclohexylidene-2-phenylacetonitrile in the body app

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

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. PubChem Compound Database (2026) — database

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 →