Benzyl Alcohol

benzyl alcohol

What it is: A simple aromatic alcohol with a faint smell.
Why it is used: A solvent and carrier for odorants; it can also act as a preservative.
Where you usually find it: Jasmine, ylang-ylang; perfumes, creams, shampoos.
Role in the fragrance: Almost no smell of its own – more a technical component of the composition.
Notes in the atlas: Jasmine

What EU law says

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: its presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients when its concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products. One of the 26 allergens introduced by Directive 2003/15/EC. In detergents it is listed above 0.01% by weight under Regulation (EC) No 648/2004. As a preservative it is also listed in Annex V. Regulation 2023/1545 replaced its Annex III entry with new wording.

In detail: fragrance allergens and the deadlines of Regulation 2023/1545