Chapter 8: Fragrance · Part 2: What else hides inside "fragrance"
Musk xylene
No badge
The worst fact: Australia classes it as "Suspected of causing cancer", and as an explosive. It was entry No. 1 on Europe's first list of chemicals needing special permission to use, because it's very persistent and builds up in living things. California bans it in cosmetics from 1 January 2027.
Why brands use it: a musk scent.
Take care if: nil.
Comes from: made in a factory (a nitro musk).
Myth check: nil.
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: the fragrance industry's own standards now prohibit it.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- EU REACH Annex XIV, Regulation (EU) 143/2011 (musk xylene). 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.