2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL - Skin Care Ingredients Curated By Mia Seilern

⚠️ Data is provided for informational purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies and should be independently verified. This is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making health decisions.

Description: 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL — PRESERVATIVE.

All Functions: PRESERVATIVE

Quick Facts:

Category: preservative

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (BNPD) is a preservative that was used in skincare products like Eucerin cream starting in 1978
Some people can develop allergic contact dermatitis (a skin reaction) from BNPD
BNPD is difficult to test for allergies because it can irritate skin even at low concentrations
Not everyone who reacts to BNPD will react to formaldehyde or other similar preservatives

Safety: Generally Low ConcernResearch confidence: Fair

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🧪 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL

2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL

CAS Number: 52-51-7

Also Known As: —

Category: preservative

EC Number: 200-143-0

Korean Name: 2-브로모-2-나이트로프로판-1,3-디올

1,3-Propanediol, 2-bromo-2-nitro-

2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL is a preservative ingredient used in skincare formulations.

PRESERVATIVE

🌍 Regulatory Status

EU: No restriction on fileUS: No restriction on file

EU max concentration: 0.1%

📊 Comedogenicity

No data yet

Not rated for this ingredient yet.

📚 Research & Evidence

PUBMED CITATIONS

Data sources: EU CosIng PubMed

🔬 The Science

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (BNPD) is a chemical preservative—meaning it’s added to skincare products to prevent bacterial growth and contamination. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (1983), BNPD was introduced into Eucerin cream in 1978 specifically to control contamination from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria. #1: The research documents seven patients who developed acute allergic contact dermatitis (an allergic skin inflammation) after using BNPD-preserved Eucerin on skin that was already irritated or damaged, with exposure periods ranging from 5 weeks to 2 years (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1983). #2: All seven patients tested positive for allergic reactions to both BNPD and Eucerin in patch tests (a standard allergy testing method), but none were allergic to formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives—suggesting BNPD triggers a distinct allergic response in susceptible individuals (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1983).

Importantly, patch testing with BNPD itself presents a challenge: the chemical is irritating to skin even at low concentrations, making it difficult for dermatologists to accurately diagnose BNPD allergies through standard testing methods (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1983). The available research is limited to this single case series and does not provide information about how common BNPD sensitivity is in the general population.