Body & Beauty / Compounds / Hexyl salicylate

Hexyl salicylate on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Salicylate ester — potential endocrine disruptor (estrogenic activity reported in vitro for some members); skin sensitizer; UV absorber properties

What is hexyl salicylate?

The IUPAC name is hexyl 2-hydroxybenzoate.

Also known as: hexyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, N-HEXYL SALICYLATE, 1-Hexyl salicylate, Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, hexyl ester.

IUPAC name
hexyl 2-hydroxybenzoate
CAS number
6259-76-3
Molecular formula
C13H18O3
Molecular weight
222.28 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCCOC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1O
PubChem CID
22629

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Salicylate ester — potential endocrine disruptor (estrogenic activity reported in vitro for some members); skin sensitizer; UV absorber properties

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Hexyl salicylate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EDC Assessment2024Suspected endocrine disruptor
IFRA2020restrictionIFRA restriction — sensitization 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 hexyl salicylate

  • Personal Care — perfume, sunscreen, lotion
  • 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 Hexyl salicylate:

  • Isoamyl salicylate
    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×
  • Methyl salicylate (with limits)
    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 hexyl salicylate?

Hexyl salicylate appears in: perfume (Personal care); sunscreen (Personal care); perfume (Fragrance); cologne (Fragrance).

Why do regulators disagree about hexyl salicylate?

Hexyl salicylate has been classified by 3 agencies including EDC Assessment, IFRA, 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 Hexyl salicylate in the body app

Look up products containing hexyl salicylate, 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 →