Chapter 8: Fragrance · Part 1: The listed fragrance allergens
Benzyl salicylate
- Officially classed skin allergen
- Made from a hazardous chemical
The worst fact: Europe's safety committee found "some indications" of hormone activity in 2023, and the EU is bringing in new limits from 2027 (4% in perfumes, 0.5% in most skin and hair products).
Why brands use it: a faint sweet note that helps a scent last, and it can absorb UV light.
Take care if: you have a fragrance allergy.
Comes from: made from salicylic acid and benzyl alcohol. Australia classes salicylic acid as "Suspected of damaging the unborn child". That doesn't mean it's in the product, but it's not a great starting point for something you clean with.
Myth check: "it's a strong allergen": the EU committee calls it "may be only a weak sensitiser in humans, if any".
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: the committee found no evidence that it actually causes hormone effects.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, SCCS/1459/11 (2012); opinion on butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial), SCCS/1591/17; opinion on benzyl salicylate, SCCS/1656/23. health.ec.europa.eu
- European Commission. Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 Annexes II and III; Regulations (EU) 2017/1410 (HICC, atranol, chloroatranol), 2020/1182 (CLP: Lilial Repr. 1B), 2021/1902 (Lilial ban), 2023/1545 (fragrance allergen labelling), 2026/909 (benzyl salicylate). eur-lex.europa.eu
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS). hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 8.