Body & Beauty / Compounds / Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol)

Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol) on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

(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 anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol)?

The IUPAC name is (4-methoxyphenyl)methanol.

Also known as: (4-methoxyphenyl)methanol, 4-METHOXYBENZYL ALCOHOL, Anise alcohol, Anisyl alcohol.

IUPAC name
(4-methoxyphenyl)methanol
CAS number
105-13-5
Molecular formula
C8H10O2
Molecular weight
138.16 g/mol
SMILES
COC1=CC=C(C=C1)CO
PubChem CID
7738

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

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA2024restrictionIFRA 51st Amendment — concentration limits
EU_COSMETICS2023allergen_disclosureEU Reg 2023/1545 — expanded allergen list

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 anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol)

  • 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 Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol):

  • Phenylethyl alcohol
    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×
  • Benzyl alcohol
    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×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol)?

Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol) appears in: perfume (Personal care); soap (Personal care); cleaning products (Consumer products); air fresheners (Consumer products); perfume (Fragrance).

See Anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol) in the body app

Look up products containing anisyl alcohol (4-methoxybenzyl alcohol), 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 veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →