Body & Beauty / Compounds / Methyl eugenol

Methyl eugenol on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

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

Documented contact-dermatitis sensitiser per the EU SCCS established-fragrance-allergen list; topical clove-oil products are a documented exposure source.

What is methyl eugenol?

The IUPAC name is 1,2-dimethoxy-4-prop-2-enylbenzene.

Also known as: 1,2-dimethoxy-4-prop-2-enylbenzene, METHYLEUGENOL, 4-Allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene, Eugenol methyl ether.

IUPAC name
1,2-dimethoxy-4-prop-2-enylbenzene
CAS number
93-15-2
Molecular formula
C11H14O2
Molecular weight
178.23 g/mol
SMILES
COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)CC=C)OC
PubChem CID
7127

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Documented contact-dermatitis sensitiser per the EU SCCS established-fragrance-allergen list; topical clove-oil products are a documented exposure source.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Methyl eugenol.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EDC Assessment—Suspected endocrine disruptor

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 methyl eugenol

  • Personal Care — perfume, cosmetics
  • Food — basil, bay leaf, allspice, nutmeg (natural trace levels)
  • 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 Methyl eugenol:

  • Eugenol (lower concern)
    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×
  • Isoeugenol (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

Is methyl eugenol safe for you?

Documented contact-dermatitis sensitiser per the EU SCCS established-fragrance-allergen list; topical clove-oil products are a documented exposure source.

What products contain methyl eugenol?

Methyl eugenol appears in: perfume (Personal care); cosmetics (Personal care); basil (Food); bay leaf (Food); perfume (Fragrance).

See Methyl eugenol in the body app

Look up products containing methyl eugenol, 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 →