Lilial and your health

Learn about lilial, its potential health risks and how to reduce your exposure

• About lilial
• Safety of lilial
• What we're doing to reduce your exposure to lilial
• What you can do to reduce your exposure to lilial

About lilial

Lilial is a synthetic substance generally used as a fragrance ingredient in a variety of products available to consumers, including:

• air fresheners
• cleaning products
• carpet deodorizer
• cosmetics, such as:
  • make-up
  • nail polish
  • fragrances
  • massage oil
  • body moisturizer
  • hair conditioners
  • hair colouring products
  • sunless tanning products
• pest control products
• non-prescription drugs
• natural health products, such as antiseptic skin cleansers and sunscreens

Safety of lilial

Under Canada's Chemicals Management Plan, we review and manage the potential risks that chemical substances can pose to people in Canada and the environment. The first stage of the review process is a draft chemical risk assessment. We have completed the draft assessment of lilial.

We're proposing that lilial may affect the developing fetus when used in certain products that consumers inhale or apply to the skin every day. These products include:

• air fresheners
• some cosmetics, including:
  • body fragrance
  • body and facial moisturizer
  • permanent hair colour product
  • solid antiperspirant or deodorant
  • hair straightening, waving and curling products
  • massage oil used on children aged 8 years old and younger
• some natural health products, such as antiseptic skin cleanser

We're also proposing that:

• lilial is not harmful to the environment
• levels of exposure to lilial from other products available to consumers considered in our assessment do not pose a risk to human health

What we're doing to reduce your exposure to lilial

Our assessment is not yet final. We're continuing to evaluate the potential risk posed by lilial before we publish our final conclusion. This includes:

• tracking new information on exposures or hazards
• asking the public to comment on our draft assessment
• reviewing and using this information to help inform our final assessment

If the proposed findings for lilial are confirmed in the final assessment, we will consider:

• adding it to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  • this would allow Canada to implement preventive or control actions for the life cycle of the substance, including:
    • research and development
    • manufacture
    • use
    • storage
    • transport
    • disposal or recycling
• adding it to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
  • this would provide information to manufacturers on the restriction or prohibition of the use of lilial in cosmetics
• changing the existing entry for lilial on the Natural Health Products Ingredients Database
  • this would lower the maximum allowable concentration in antiseptic skin cleansers
• taking actions to help reduce exposures to lilial from products that are inhaled or applied to the skin to levels that help protect human health.

You can provide any comments on our draft assessment and proposed risk management during the 60-day public comment period.

What you can do to reduce your exposure to lilial

You can take steps to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Read product labels and follow all safety warnings and directions:

• labels on cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs must list all ingredients and instructions for use
• only use over-the-counter products that have a drug identification number (DIN) or natural product number (NPN)
  • these numbers mean the product is regulated under the Food and Drugs Act
• lilial may also appear on ingredient lists as:
  • lysmeral
  • benzenepropanol
  • butylphenyl methylpropional
  • 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)butanal
  • 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde
• follow the manufacturer's directions to dispose of the product safely

If you're unsure if your product contains lilial, contact the manufacturer.

If you're exposed to lilial at work, talk to your employer and occupational health and safety (OHS) official about:

• relevant laws
• safe handling and storage practices
• requirements under OHS legislation and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Related links

• Chemical risk assessments
• Cosmetic ingredient hotlist
• Use household chemicals safely
• Toxic substances list: schedule 1
• Measuring your exposure to chemicals
• Canada's systems for addressing chemicals
• Overview of the Chemicals Management Plan
• Natural Health Products Ingredients Database

For industry and professionals

• Risk assessment of chemical substances
• Phenylpropanoids and Aldehydes Group – information sheet
• Risk management scope for the phenylpropanoids and aldehydes group