Body & Beauty / Compounds / Isopropyl myristate

Isopropyl myristate on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

GHS Warning classification. Causes skin irritation.

What is isopropyl myristate?

The IUPAC name is propan-2-yl tetradecanoate.

Also known as: propan-2-yl tetradecanoate, Isopropyl tetradecanoate, Isomyst, Tetradecanoic acid, 1-methylethyl ester.

IUPAC name
propan-2-yl tetradecanoate
CAS number
110-27-0
Molecular formula
C17H34O2
Molecular weight
270.5 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OC(C)C
PubChem CID
8042

Risk for people

Moderate risk

GHS Warning classification. Causes skin irritation.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Isopropyl myristate.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 3 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 isopropyl myristate

  • Consumer Products — Cosmetics, Self-tanning products, Moisturizers, Pharmaceutical creams
  • 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 Isopropyl myristate:

  • 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 isopropyl myristate safe for you?

GHS Warning classification. Causes skin irritation.

What products contain isopropyl myristate?

Isopropyl myristate appears in: Cosmetics (Consumer products); Self-tanning products (Consumer products); perfume (Fragrance); cologne (Fragrance).

See Isopropyl myristate in the body app

Look up products containing isopropyl myristate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 8042 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID0026838 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 110-27-0 — 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 →