2-ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE

📋 Quick facts

Description: 2-ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE — 2-ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE. Formula: C11H20O2. MW: 184.27. IUPAC: 2-ethylhexyl prop-2-enoate.

Quick Facts:

• Category: other
• Also Known As: 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) is an industrial chemical used in adhesives, paints, and coatings—not typically a skincare ingredient
• No human cases of cancer from 2-EHA exposure have been reported
• Skin tumors appeared in only one mouse strain (C3H/HeJ) when exposed to very high doses
• A different mouse strain (NMRI) did not develop skin tumors from 2-EHA at any dose tested
• Skin irritation (scaling, redness, thickening) occurred in mouse studies but was often reversible when exposure stopped

⚗️ Chemical Overview

2-Ethylhexyl acrylate can cause cancer according to California Labor Code and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 2-ethylhexyl acrylate appears as a clear colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. Less dense than water and insoluble in water. Vapors heavier than air. Flash point 180 °F. Used in making of paints and plastics. 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate is an enoate ester.

Source(s): CAMEO Chemicals, ChEBI, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

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.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

2-Ethylhexyl acrylate is an industrial chemical used as a building block in polymer resins for adhesives, latex paints, and textile coatings. Consumer exposure would be limited to trace amounts remaining in finished products (Biomed Hub, 2020). The ingredient does not appear in standard skincare formulations, and there are no documented cases of human cancer linked to 2-EHA (Biomed Hub, 2020). The scientific debate around 2-EHA centers on conflicting animal study results. Here’s what the research shows:

#1: Skin tumors only appeared in one mouse strain. When C3H/HeJ mice were exposed to high concentrations of 2-EHA repeatedly over their lifetime, some developed skin tumors including papillomas and carcinomas (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol, 1989).

However, this tumor response occurred only when doses exceeded the maximum tolerated dose—the highest amount an animal can handle without severe toxic effects beyond the intended effect being studied (Toxicol Lett, 2018). #2: A different mouse strain showed no tumor risk. NMRI mice exposed to 2-EHA under similar conditions did not develop skin tumors, even at the highest concentrations tested (Food Chem Toxicol, 1994; Toxicol Lett, 2018). The C3H/HeJ strain has a genetic mutation affecting immune function (impaired Toll-like receptor 4), which researchers believe made it uniquely susceptible and not representative of human responses (Biomed Hub, 2020). #3: Skin irritation was reversible in many cases.

Across studies, 2-EHA caused visible skin damage in mice including scaling, scabbing, and thickening. Importantly, these changes reversed when exposure stopped or when lower doses were used (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol, 1989). In summary, while 2-EHA caused tumors in one immune-compromised mouse model at excessive doses, it did not cause tumors in immune-competent mice, has no documented human cancer cases, and shows a pattern consistent with irritation rather than inherent carcinogenic activity (Toxicol Lett, 2018). Researchers note that more appropriate animal models are needed to fully evaluate safety (Biomed Hub, 2020).

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Elmets CA et al. (2020). Murine Skin Carcinogenesis and the Role of Immune System Dysregulation in the Tumorigenicity of 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate. Biomed Hub.
• Murphy S et al. (2018). Critical evaluation of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate dermal carcinogenicity studies using contemporary criteria. Toxicol Lett.
• Mellert W et al. (1994). 2-year carcinogenicity study in the male NMRI mouse with 2-ethylhexyl acrylate by epicutaneous administration. Food Chem Toxicol.
• Wenzel-Hartung RP et al. (1989). Dermal oncogenicity study of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate by epicutaneous application in male C3H/HeJ mice. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol.

🧴 Products Containing 2-ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE