Oxyquinoline
molecular structure · PubChem
AKA: 8-HYDROXYQUINOLINE, Quinolin-8-ol, 148-24-3, 8-quinolinol, Oxine, Quinophenol, Oxychinolin, Phenopyridine, 8-Quinol
Synthetic
Preservative
Chelating Agent
Not Clean
8-Hydroxyquinoline; 1-Azanaphthalene-8-ol; Quinolin-8-ol; 8-Quinolinol; Phenopyridine
Solubility less than 1 mg/mL at 61 °F (NTP, 1992)
Formula
C9H7NO
Mol. Weight
145.16
CAS #
148-24-3
Form
Powder
State
8-hydroxyquinoline appears as white to off-white or faintly yellow crystalline powder. Phenolic odor. (NTP, 1992)
Functions
Antimicrobial
Keeps your product from growing bacteria, mold, or yeast. Without these, that jar of cream becomes a petri dish in about a week.
Chelating
Grabs onto metal ions in water that would destabilize the formula. Keeps your product from going bad or changing color.
Fights Bacteria
Traditional Use
Developed in the early 20th century as an antimicrobial and antifungal synthetic agent. It has been used in cosmetics and topical preparations to preserve products and treat minor skin irritations.
EWG
6
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
No
CIR Safety Findings
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
0.3%
0%0%
Reg. Limit
EU regulatory limit: 0.3%. (a) 0.3% (as base) (b) 0.03% (as base) Source: EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III (Restricted Substances), Entry 51.
Regulatory Agencies
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
No
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.
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR