t-Butyl Acetate

AKA: TERT-BUTYL ACETATE, 540-88-5, Acetic acid, 1, 1-dimethylethyl ester, Texaco lead appreciator, Tert-butyl ester, 1-Dimethyl acetate

Synthetic

Solvent

Clean

Tert-butyl acetate is a colorless liquid with a mild odor. Floats on water. Produces irritating vapor. (USCG, 1999)

Solubility Insoluble (NIOSH, 2024)

Formula

C6H12O2

Mol. Weight

116.16

CAS #

540-88-5

Form

Liquid

State

Tert-butyl acetate is a colorless liquid with a mild odor. Floats on water. Produces irritating vapor. (USCG, 1999)

Functions

Solvent

Dissolves other ingredients so they distribute evenly in the formula. Often the invisible "base" everything else is mixed into.

Dissolves Ingredients

Dissolves other ingredients

Traditional Use

A synthetic organic solvent derived from petroleum, developed in the 20th century for use in nail polish, lacquers, and other cosmetic formulations requiring volatile organic solvents.

EWG

CIR

Safe as used

Pregnancy

Caution

CIR Safety Findings

medical-approval

all-shades-safe

Mild Irritant

Regulatory Status

USA✔ permitted

EU⚠ restricted

JAPAN⚠ restricted

CANADA⚠ restricted

Regulatory Agencies

EWG CIR FDA EU COSING Health Canada

Skin Types

●all-skin-types

Best For

General

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe

Caution

The paper trail

🔬Peer-reviewednone on file

⚖️Regulatory1 listing →

🛡️Safety-assessed1 review →

Counts, not a verdict. A listing isn't a study. The trail, you decide.

Verified Jun 2026

Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR