Benzyl Salicylate
What it is
A synthetic ester (CAS 118-58-1) with a faint floral scent; also absorbs UV light weakly. Used as a fragrance ingredient and UV stabilizer.
In this product: Fragrance allergen and weak UV absorber in fine fragrance mists.
Dose & route, what actually matters
Dermal and inhalation. In a body mist, it is both deposited on skin and inhaled as an aerosol. Leave-on exposure increases contact sensitization risk.
EUROPEAN UNION
Named-disclosure fragrance allergen under EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex III; reaffirmed by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545. Must be individually listed above threshold concentrations on EU cosmetic labels.
UNITED STATES
No individual disclosure requirement. May appear inside 'Fragrance' on US labels without being named.
The evidence
Benzyl salicylate is listed in EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex III as a named-disclosure fragrance allergen, confirmed in the expanded Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 allergen list.
regulatory · 2023 · source
California Prop 65: Not listed.
How to avoid it
Fragrance-free products avoid it. On EU labels it will be listed by name if present above threshold; on US labels it is typically undisclosed inside 'Fragrance.'
Where it hides
Editorial analysis of publicly available regulatory and peer-reviewed sources. Not medical advice. We name our evidence and link it, including when an ingredient is fine.