Body & Beauty / Compounds / Diheptyl phthalate

Diheptyl phthalate on your skin: a safety profile

Elevated risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Phthalate class — endocrine disruptor; reproductive toxicant (anti-androgenic); SVHC under REACH; restricted/banned in EU consumer products

What is diheptyl phthalate?

The IUPAC name is diheptyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate.

Also known as: diheptyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate, Di-n-heptyl phthalate, Heptyl phthalate, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diheptyl ester.

IUPAC name
diheptyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate
CAS number
3648-21-3
Molecular formula
C22H34O4
Molecular weight
362.5 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCCCOC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1C(=O)OCCCCCCC
PubChem CID
19284

Risk for people

Elevated risk

Phthalate class — endocrine disruptor; reproductive toxicant (anti-androgenic); SVHC under REACH; restricted/banned in EU consumer products

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Diheptyl phthalate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EU2024Banned in cosmetics (REACH Annex II)
EU REACH2024SVHC — Substance of Very High Concern
US CPSIA2008Restricted in children's products
EDC Assessment2024Suspected endocrine disruptor

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 diheptyl phthalate

  • Consumer Products — plasticized PVC, adhesives, coatings, sealants
  • Personal Care — nail polish, fragrance (as fixative)
  • 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 Diheptyl phthalate:

  • DINCH
    Trade-offs: Alternative plasticizer; compatibility with polymer matrix required; migration rate and toxicological profile of alternative should be assessed; mechanical properties (flexibility, tensile strength) may change.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • DOTP
    Trade-offs: Alternative plasticizer; compatibility with polymer matrix required; migration rate and toxicological profile of alternative should be assessed; mechanical properties (flexibility, tensile strength) may change.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain diheptyl phthalate?

Diheptyl phthalate appears in: plasticized PVC (Consumer products); adhesives (Consumer products); nail polish (Personal care); fragrance (as fixative) (Personal care); perfume (Fragrance).

Why do regulators disagree about diheptyl phthalate?

Diheptyl phthalate has been classified by 4 agencies including EU, EU REACH, US CPSIA, EDC Assessment, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Diheptyl phthalate in the body app

Look up products containing diheptyl phthalate, 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 →