Vanillic acid is a monohydroxybenzoic acid that is 4-hydroxybenzoic acid substituted by a methoxy group at position 3.
Definition
Vanillic acid is a monohydroxybenzoic acid that is 4-hydroxybenzoic acid substituted by a methoxy group at position 3. It has a role as a plant metabolite. It is a methoxybenzoic acid and a monohydroxybenzoic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a vanillate.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII GM8Q3JM2Y8 · registered name VANILLIC ACID · single chemical substance
Vanillic Acid is the organic compound that conforms to the formula
Cosmetic roles
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 121-34-6
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 204-466-8
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID6059522
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID1033668
- IUPAC
- 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid
- Molecular formula
- C8H8O4
- Molecular weight
- 168.148 g/mol
What products actually use it for
What the 4 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.
- Flavouring and nutrient2
- No specific technical function1
- Fragrance1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
3 skin studies and 1 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 4 studies
- SkinSens1
Skin Sensitization · QSAR Predicted - Studies Indicate No Significant Irritation
skin irritation: in vivo · Screening · OECD Guideline 404 (Acute Dermal Irritation / Corrosion) Simplied study. equivalent or similar to - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA) · Screening · equivalent or similar to OECD Guideline 406 (Skin Sensitisation) - Studies Indicate No Significant Irritation
eye irritation: in vivo · Screening · OECD Guideline 405 (Acute Eye Irritation / Corrosion) Simplified study. equivalent or similar to
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Novel vanillic acid-loaded in situ gels: development, characterization, in vitro evaluation for enhanced wound healing and skin irritation test · 2025
- Biosynthesis of vanillic acid by Ochrobactrum anthropi and its applications. · 2022
- Vanillic Acid Inhibited the Induced Glycation Using In Vitro and In Vivo Models · 2022
- Vanillic acid and methoxyhydroquinone production from guaiacyl units and related aromatic compounds using Aspergillus niger cell factories · 2021
- Vanillic acid in Panax ginseng root extract inhibits melanogenesis in B16F10 cells via inhibition of the NO/PKG signaling pathway · 2019
Linked databases 14
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · English · Japanese