Is Methyl Eugenol safe in cosmetics?
Methyl Eugenol has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: restricted. 4 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Methyl Eugenol
Also known as: Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-, 4-Allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene, BRN 1910871, Caswell No. 579AB, 1,2-Dimethoxy-4-(2-propen-1-yl)benzene (+6 more)
INCI: METHYL EUGENOL
Methyl Eugenol (CAS 93-15-2) is a cosmetic fragrance functioning as fragrance. NOAEL 3 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 93-15-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Methyl Eugenol is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H317, H341, H351, H350, H316, H320, H373).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
1,2-dimethoxy-4-prop-2-enylbenzene
InChIKey
ZYEMGPIYFIJGTP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
restricted
US Notes
Restricted; RIFM assessed as genotoxic carcinogen in repeated dose studies; naturally occurring traces in essential oils handled case-by-case
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Methyl Eugenol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
4 study endpoints found for Methyl Eugenol. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | 18 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 30 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | 300 mg/kg bw/day | oral | mouse | Subchronic | COSMOS_DB |
| NOAEL | =1000 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | developmental | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Methyl Eugenol across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
IARC Carcinogenicity
International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) monograph evaluation.
IARC Group
2A
Volume
101, 134
Evaluation Year
2023
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
| Test Type | N | Sensitized | Dose µg/cm² | NESIL µg/cm² | Potency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMT | - | 0 | 5184 | - | - |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1 - 10 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
SA Saudi SFDA (III - Restricted)
Product type: (a) Fine fragrance (b) Eau de toilette (c) Fragrance cream (d) Other leave-on products and oral products (e) Rinse-off products. Max: (a) 0.01% (b) 0.004% (c) 0.002% (d) 0.0002% (e) 0.001%.
ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (II)
Ref: 451
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
Brazil: Prohibited
India: Restricted · max (a) 0.01% (b) 0.004% (c) 0.002% (d) 0.0002% (e) 0.001%
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (6)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | banned | - | - |
| IN | banned | - | fine fragrance >0.01%; eau de toilette >0.04%; fragrance cream >0.02%; rinse-off >0.001%; other leave-on/oral >0.0002% |
| BR | banned | - | Naturally occurring trace allowed |
| BR | banned | - | Trace naturally occurring only |
| CA | restricted | 0.01% (fine fragrances); 0.004% (eau de toilette); 0.002% (fragrance cream); 0.0002% (other leave-on & oral); 0.001% (rinse-off) | All cosmetics — product-type specific limits |
| ASEAN | banned | - | All cosmetic products prohibited |
IFRA Concentration Limits (12 Product Categories)
International Fragrance Association standards per product category. Restriction: Restriction. Effective: 2024-01-01.
| Category | Max % | Category | Max % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Lip products) | – | 7a (Deodorant – not spray) | – |
| 2 (Body spray) | – | 7b (Deodorant spray) | – |
| 3 (Body cream) | – | 8 (Face cream) | – |
| 4 (Fine fragrance) | – | 9 (Soap) | – |
| 5a (Body lotion) | – | 10a (Household – non-spray) | – |
| 5b (Face cream leave-on) | – | 10b (Household – spray) | – |
| 5c (Hand cream) | – | 11a (Intimate – leave-on) | – |
| 5d (Baby cream) | – | 11b (Intimate – rinse) | – |
| 6 (Mouthwash) | – | 12 (Not for consumer exposure) | – |
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (4)
Carcinogen Classification
2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans. (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Carcinogen Classification
Methyleugenol | Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans | Volume 101: (2012) Some Chemicals Present in Industrial and Consumer Products, Food and Drinking-water | Volume 134: (2024) Aspartame, Methyleugenol, and Isoeugenol
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Carcinogen Classification
Methyleugenol | TR-491: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Methyleugenol (CASRN 93-15-2) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies) (2000 ) | 10/30/98 | Clear Evidence | Clear Evidence | Clear Evidence | Clear Evidence | Under the conditions of these 2-year gavage studies, there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of methyleugenol in male and female F344/N rats based on
Source: NTP Technical Reports
Evidence for Carcinogenicity
Methyleugenol: reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Regulatory (2)
JECFA Number
1790
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
JECFA Evaluation
4-ALLYL VERATROL | 1981 | NO ADI ALLOCATED | TRS 669-JECFA 25/23 | FAS 16-JECFA 25/92
Source: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Fragrance
Regulatory List Membership (4)
California Proposition 65 (OEHHA)
IFRA Fragrance Transparency List
FDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Methyl Eugenol.
Regulatory Flags
eu-prohibited
annex-ii-prohibited
genotoxic
carcinogenic-concern
naturally-occurring-trace-only
prop65
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
eu_cosing_listed
jecfa_concern
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Methyl Eugenol by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
4
Lowest NOAEL
18 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
1000 mg/kg bw/day
COSMOS_DB
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
Known Synonyms
Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-
4-Allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene
BRN 1910871
Caswell No. 579AB
1,2-Dimethoxy-4-(2-propen-1-yl)benzene
EINECS 202-223-0
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 203900
FEMA No. 2475
FEMA Number 2475
O-Methyl eugenol
UNII-29T9VA6R7M
Chemical Function
Deodorizer
Fragrance
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care; restricted
IFRA Transparency
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Australia
detected; Europe; Personal care - make-up and related
OEHHA Proposition 65 (3/2019)
OEHHA Proposition 65 (1/2023)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
METHYLEUGENOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL108861
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Methyl Eugenol allowed in the EU?
Methyl Eugenol EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Methyl Eugenol do in cosmetics?
Methyl Eugenol functions as: fragrance. It is classified as a Fragrance in our database. CAS number: 93-15-2.
What is the NOAEL for Methyl Eugenol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Methyl Eugenol is 18 mg/kg bw/day based on a Subchronic study via oral route in rat. A total of 4 study endpoints are available. Source: COSMOS_DB.
Is Methyl Eugenol used outside cosmetics?
Methyl Eugenol also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Methyl Eugenol have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Methyl Eugenol is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H317, H341, H351, H350, H316, H320, H373).
Compliance Tools
Check Methyl Eugenol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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