Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol that consists of benzene bearing a single hydroxymethyl substituent.
How much products actually contain
No product states its amount yet.
Of the products containing it, 166 list it before the 1% line and 678 after it (usually 1% or less).
Products using this ingredient
12 of 840 confirmed · likeliest to carry enough first · See all 840
FOR:BEAUTScalp Tattoo 15g Black/Brown (Single/Special Set)
DASHUDASHU Daily All Day Perfect Scalp Tattoo 20g (Natural Black/Brown)
The Body ShopThe Body Shop Black Musk Fragrance Mist
The Body ShopThe Body Shop Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate
The Body ShopThe Body Shop Edelweiss Serum Concentrate Sheet Mask
Eden BodyWorksEden BodyWorks Lavender Aloe Moisturizing Leave In
KamillHand Lotion Classic 125ml (Pump)
The Body ShopThe Body Shop Aloe Soothing Sheet Mask
The Body ShopThe Body Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub
K18K18 AstroLift™ reparative volume spray 1.6oz
K18K18 AstroLift™ reparative volume spray 4oz
K18K18 Mini molecular repair hair oil
Definition
Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol that consists of benzene bearing a single hydroxymethyl substituent. It has a role as an antioxidant, a metabolite, a solvent and a fragrance.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII LKG8494WBH · registered name Benzyl alcohol · single chemical substance
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol that conforms to the formula:
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
- Restricted
- International fragrance standard (IFRA) · United Kingdom
- Allowed preservative
- United Kingdom
Source: ASEAN Cosmetic Directive · EU Cosmetics Regulation · IFRA fragrance standards · MFDS (Korea) cosmetic regulatory information · UK cosmetics regulations (OPSS) · Taiwan FDA cosmetic ingredients
Argentina · Brazil
- Maximum concentration permitted at final product : 1.0%
ASEAN
- Field of application and/or use : (a) Solvents (b) fragrance/aromatic compositions/their raw materials
- Other limitations and requirements : As a preservative, see Annex VI, Part1, No. 34
Taiwan · China
- Maximum concentration : 1%
South Korea
- Maximum concentration : 1.0%
European Union
- Other : For purposes other than inhibiting the development of microorganisms in the product. This purpose has to be apparent from the presentation of the product. The presence of the substance shall be indicated in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1), point (g), when its concentration exceeds: — 0,001 % in leave-on products — 0,01 % in rinse-off products
- Maximum concentration in ready for use preparation : 1.0%
Source: MFDS (Korea) cosmetic regulatory information
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex V (allowed preservatives), entry 34 · maximum concentration 1.0%
EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex III (restricted substances), entry 45 · applies to (a) Solvent (b) Fragrance/ aromatic compositions/ their raw materials
Restriction III/45 and V/34
Source: EU CosIng ingredient list
Reviewed by CIR: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate
Reviewed by CIR: Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its Salts, and Benzyl Benzoate
Reviewed by CIR: Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Official labels & definitions
JCIA labelling name ベンジルアルコール: 本品は、次の化学式で表される芳香族アルコールである。
Source: JCIA labelling names (Japan)
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 100-51-6
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 202-859-9
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID5020152
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID70152
- IUPAC
- Phenylmethanol
- Molecular formula
- C7H8O
- Molecular weight
- 108.14 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- Benzyl alcohol appears as a clear colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. Slightly denser than water. Flash point 194 °F. Boiling point 401 °F. Contact may irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. May be slightly toxic by ingestion. Used to make other chemicals. · Gas Vapor, Liquid, Wet Solid, Other Solid, CBI
- Odour
- Faint aromatic odor
- Boiling point
- 401 °F at 760 mmHg (NTP, 1992) · 205.3 °C, 478 K, 402 °F
- Melting point
- 4.5 °F (NTP, 1992) · -15..2 °C, 258 K, 5 °F
- Solubility
- 10 to 50 mg/mL at 70 °F (NTP, 1992) · 33 mg/mL, clear, colorless
- Density
- 1.05 at 1515 °F (USCG, 1999) - Denser than water, will sink · 1.0419 g/cu cm at 24 °C
- Melting/freezing point
- -15 ℃
- Initial boiling point and range
- 205 ℃
- Flash point
- 93 ℃(c.c.)
- Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
- 13 / 1.3 %
- Vapour pressure
- 13.2 ㎩ (20℃)
- Water solubility
- 4.29 g/100㎖ (25℃)
- Vapour density
- 3.7
- Relative density
- 1.04
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 1.1
- Auto-ignition temperature
- 436 ℃
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: PubChem · KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 889 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Fragrance741
- Preservative28
- Solvent24
- Diluent23
- Solubility enhancer16
- Hardener15
- Viscosity modifier9
- Pharmaceutical (EPA)6
15 other uses
- Processing aids not otherwise specified4
- Plasticizer4
- Flavouring and nutrient3
- Cleaning agent3
- Biocide3
- Emulsifier1
- Intermediate1
- Photosensitive agent1
- Corrosion inhibitor1
- Monomers1
- Dispersing agent1
- Deodorizer1
- Coalescing agent1
- Antioxidant1
- Binder1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
4 skin studies and 4 eye studies are on record.
The study conclusions largely agree (100%). These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 8 studies
- Not classified
Skin Irritation · Screening - Classification not possible
Skin Sensitization · Screening - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA) · Screening · according to OECD Guideline 406 (Skin Sensitisation) - Category 6.5B (Category 1)
Skin Sensitization · Read Across - Category 2
Eye Irritation · Screening - Serious eye damage/eye irritation - Category 2
Eye Irritation · Screening - Category 6.4A (Category 2A)
Eye Irritation · Read Across - Eye irritation - category 2A
Eye Irritation · Screening
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate · 2001
- Benzyl Alcohol · 2013
- Benzyl Alcohol: Allergen of the Year 2026 · 2025
- Acute benzyl alcohol intoxication: An autopsy case report · 2023
- Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its Salts, and Benzyl Benzoate · 2017
Linked databases 30
- ASEAN Cosmetic Directive
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- China inventory of existing ingredients (IECIC)
- EU allowed preservatives (Annex V)
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- EU Cosmetics Regulation
- EU restricted substances (Annex III)
- IFRA fragrance standards
- JCIA labelling names (Japan)
- Korea Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic ingredient register 2
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic regulatory information 2 3 4
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem 2
- Taiwan FDA cosmetic ingredients
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UK cosmetics regulations (OPSS) 2
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) 2 3 4
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- US National Toxicology Program reports
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · Korean · English · Japanese · Chinese