Baby Safety / Compounds / Tricyclodecenyl acetate

Is Tricyclodecenyl acetate safe for babies and kids?

Low risk for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Tricyclodecenyl acetate poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

What is tricyclodecenyl acetate?

The IUPAC name is tricyclodecenyl ethanoate.

Also known as: tricyclodecenyl ethanoate, TDCA, woody, ester.

IUPAC name
tricyclodecenyl ethanoate
CAS number
5413-60-5
Molecular formula
C12H16O2
Molecular weight
192.25 g/mol
SMILES
CC(=O)OC1CC2CC1C3C2C=CC3
PubChem CID
110655

Risk for babies

Low risk

Tricyclodecenyl acetate poses low risk to adults under normal use conditions.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Tricyclodecenyl acetate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA——IFRA standard
EU——EU approved

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter tricyclodecenyl acetate

  • Perfume
  • Personal Care

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Tricyclodecenyl acetate:

  • Fragrance-free product formulations
    Trade-offs: Eliminates allergen risk entirely; consumer acceptance varies (some associate scent with cleanliness/efficacy); growing market segment; regulatory advantage in EU (no IFRA compliance needed).
    Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
  • Essential oil-free synthetic fragrance blends with established safety profiles
    Trade-offs: Allows scent without specific natural allergens; synthetic molecules can be individually safety-tested; some synthetics have their own sensitization profiles; cost comparable to natural blends.
    Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
  • Encapsulated fragrance technologies (reduced dermal contact)
    Trade-offs: Reduces dermal contact by 60-90% via polymer shell release mechanism; higher formulation cost; may alter scent perception (delayed release); shell material itself requires safety assessment.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Naturally-derived isolates at IFRA-compliant concentrations
    Trade-offs: Alternative fragrance ingredient; individual safety profile should be assessed per IFRA standards; sensitization potential varies by compound; patch testing recommended for sensitive individuals.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 5413-60-5 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →