Body & Beauty / Compounds / alpha-Terpineol

alpha-Terpineol on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

Not medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Fragrance terpene ester/alcohol — generally low toxicity; some members are EU designated allergens (cinnamyl alcohol, citronellol); oxidation products may be more allergenic than parent compound

What is alpha-terpineol?

The IUPAC name is 2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)propan-2-ol.

Also known as: 2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)propan-2-ol, p-Menth-1-en-8-ol, 1-p-Menthen-8-ol, Terpineol 350.

IUPAC name
2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)propan-2-ol
CAS number
98-55-5
Molecular formula
C10H18O
Molecular weight
154.25 g/mol
SMILES
CC1=CCC(CC1)C(C)(C)O
PubChem CID
17100

Risk for people

Low risk

Fragrance terpene ester/alcohol — generally low toxicity; some members are EU designated allergens (cinnamyl alcohol, citronellol); oxidation products may be more allergenic than parent compound

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified alpha-Terpineol. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA2024no_restrictionNo IFRA restriction.
FDA1965GRASGRAS food flavoring
EU_COSMETICS2023allergen_disclosureEU Cosmetics Reg (EC) 1223/2009 Annex III·343 declarable fragrance allergen (added by Reg (EU) 2023/1545), CAS 98-55-5 — must be declared in the ingredient list above 0.001% (leave-on) / 0.01% (rinse-off). D-385 correction: record previously listed only IFRA 'no_restriction', under-stating EU allergen-declaration status.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter alpha-terpineol

  • Personal Care — perfume, soap, lotion, shampoo
  • Consumer Products — cleaning products, air fresheners
  • Fragrance — perfume, cologne, scented personal care products, household fragrance products, candles
    Identified in Fragrance Ingredient Safety Priority Research database (2,325 ingredients)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to alpha-Terpineol:

  • Linalool
    Trade-offs: Alternative fragrance ingredient; individual safety profile should be assessed per IFRA standards; sensitization potential varies by compound; patch testing recommended for sensitive individuals.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Dihydromyrcenol
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain alpha-terpineol?

alpha-Terpineol appears in: perfume (Personal care); soap (Personal care); cleaning products (Consumer products); air fresheners (Consumer products); perfume (Fragrance).

Why do regulators disagree about alpha-terpineol?

alpha-Terpineol has been classified by 3 agencies including IFRA, FDA, EU_COSMETICS, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See alpha-Terpineol in the body app

Look up products containing alpha-terpineol, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. PubChem Compound Database (2026) — database

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →