Body & Beauty / Compounds / Isoeugenol

Isoeugenol on your skin: a safety profile

Elevated risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) STRONG skin sensitizer — top contact allergen; possible mutagen (genotoxicity data); EU designated allergen; present in clove oil, ylang ylang; cross-reacts with eugenol

What is isoeugenol?

The IUPAC name is 2-methoxy-4-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]phenol.

Also known as: 2-methoxy-4-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]phenol, 4-Propenylguaiacol, 2-Methoxy-4-propenylphenol, 2-methoxy-4-(prop-1-en-1-yl)phenol.

IUPAC name
2-methoxy-4-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]phenol
CAS number
97-54-1
Molecular formula
C10H12O2
Molecular weight
164.20 g/mol
SMILES
CC=CC1=CC(=C(C=C1)O)OC
PubChem CID
853433

Risk for people

Elevated risk

STRONG skin sensitizer — top contact allergen; possible mutagen (genotoxicity data); EU designated allergen; present in clove oil, ylang ylang; cross-reacts with eugenol

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Isoeugenol. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA2020restrictionIFRA restriction — strong sensitizer
EU_COSMETICS2009allergen_disclosureEU Annex III original 26 allergens

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 isoeugenol

  • Personal Care — perfume, soap, cosmetics, essential oils
  • Food — clove, nutmeg, cinnamon flavoring
  • 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 Isoeugenol:

  • Eugenol (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×
  • Vanillin
    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 isoeugenol
    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 isoeugenol?

Isoeugenol appears in: perfume (Personal care); soap (Personal care); clove (Food); nutmeg (Food); perfume (Fragrance).

See Isoeugenol in the body app

Look up products containing isoeugenol, 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 →