Body & Beauty / Compounds / Peru balsam (crude)

Peru balsam (crude) on your skin: a safety profile

High risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Strong sensitizer — one of the top contact allergens in dermatology patch testing; contains cinnamein, benzoyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamate; cross-reacts with multiple fragrance allergens; IFRA restricted; EU designated allergen

What is peru balsam (crude)?

Also known as: Perubalsam, balsam of Peru, Perubalsem, перуанский бальзам.

CAS number
8007-00-9

Risk for people

High risk

Strong sensitizer — one of the top contact allergens in dermatology patch testing; contains cinnamein, benzoyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamate; cross-reacts with multiple fragrance allergens; IFRA restricted; EU designated allergen

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Peru balsam (crude). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IFRA2020restrictionIFRA restriction — strong allergen
EU_COSMETICS2009allergen_disclosureEU Annex III allergen

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 peru balsam (crude)

  • Personal Care — perfume, cosmetics, traditional medicine
  • 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 Peru balsam (crude):

  • Benzyl benzoate (isolated)
    Trade-offs: Avoidance or processing alternative; effectiveness depends on specific toxin and exposure pathway; may not fully eliminate risk in all scenarios; regulatory monitoring programs provide additional safety net.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Tolu balsam
    Trade-offs: Avoidance or processing alternative; effectiveness depends on specific toxin and exposure pathway; may not fully eliminate risk in all scenarios; regulatory monitoring programs provide additional safety net.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Vanilla blends
    Trade-offs: Avoidance or processing alternative; effectiveness depends on specific toxin and exposure pathway; may not fully eliminate risk in all scenarios; regulatory monitoring programs provide additional safety net.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain peru balsam (crude)?

Peru balsam (crude) appears in: perfume (Personal care); cosmetics (Personal care); perfume (Fragrance); cologne (Fragrance).

See Peru balsam (crude) in the body app

Look up products containing peru balsam (crude), 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 →