n-Butyl Alcohol

n-Butyl Alcohol 1
molecular structure · PubChem CID 263
AKA: 1-butanol, Butan-1-ol, N-butanol, 71-36-3, Propylcarbinol, 1-hydroxybutane, Butyl hydroxide, Methylolpropane
Synthetic
Fragrance
Solvent
Not Clean
OriginDerived from petroleum or produced from biomass feedstocks as a four-carbon alcohol compound. Synthesized through hydration of butylene or fermentation of biomass followed by distillation.
Butan-1-ol is a primary alcohol that is butane in which a hydrogen of one of the methyl groups is substituted by a hydroxy group. It it produced in small amounts in humans by the gut microbes. It has a role as a protic solvent, a mouse metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a primary alcohol, a short-chain primary fatty alcohol and an alkyl alcohol.
Solubility 9 % (NIOSH, 2024)
Formula
C4H10O
Mol. Weight
74.12
CAS #
71-36-3
Form
Liquid
State
N-butyl alcohol is a colorless liquid. Used in organic chemical synthesis, plasticizers, detergents, etc.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Caution
Functions
Denaturant
Perfuming
Added for scent. Can be natural or synthetic. Common irritant and allergen — one of the top reasons people react to products.
Solvent
Dissolves other ingredients so they distribute evenly in the formula. Often the invisible "base" everything else is mixed into.
Brightening
Antimicrobial
Strengthens Barrier
Adds pleasant scent
Makes alcohol undrinkable
Dissolves other ingredients
The paper trail
🔬Peer-reviewednone on file
⚖️Regulatory1 listing →
🛡️Safety-assessed3 reviews →
Counts, not a verdict. A listing isn't a study. The trail, you decide.
EWG
5
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Caution
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
2 studies / 2 not sensitizing (CIR 162)
Not Phototoxic
Product formulation test found no phototoxicity in the CIR safety assessment (CIR 472)
Mixed Eye Irritation Results
2 studies / 1 irritating / 1 not irritating / plus 1 case report (CIR 162 and 472)
Mixed Skin Irritation Results
4 studies / 1 irritating / 3 not irritating (CIR 162)
Regulatory Status
USA✔ permitted
CANADA✔ permitted
Regulatory Agencies
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR