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Benzyl Salicylate

A fragrance ingredient with a faint sweet, balsamic scent; it is one of the named allergens that must be declared on EU labels.

What it does

Benzyl salicylate is used as a fragrance component and fixative — it carries a soft floral-balsamic note and helps a scent last. It is one of the fragrance substances the EU requires to be listed by name on the label because a minority of people can react to it, which is why you sometimes see it spelled out at the end of an ingredient list rather than hidden inside 'parfum'. Its role is purely scent; it does nothing functional for the skin.

The evidence, graded

expert consensusBenzyl alcohol and benzyl salicylate are on the EU's 26-allergen list, but both are usually in a formula for a reason other than scent — benzyl alcohol as a broad-spectrum preservative and solvent, benzyl salicylate as a fixative. Either can still cause contact allergy, so a confirmed reaction is worth respecting; seeing one on a label is not on its own evidence the product is fragranced.SCCS 2012 · European Commission SCCS ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

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