Body & Beauty / Compounds / Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium)

Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium) on your skin: a safety profile

High risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Contains thujone (neurotoxic, convulsant); absinthism historical syndrome; EU limits thujone to 35mg/kg in alcoholic beverages; IFRA restricted; wormwood also contains chamazulene (anti-inflammatory) but thujone dominates risk

What is wormwood oil (artemisia absinthium)?

Also known as: Cajeputöl, minyak kayu putih, huile de cajeput, cajeput oil.

CAS number
8008-98-8

Risk for people

High risk

Contains thujone (neurotoxic, convulsant); absinthism historical syndrome; EU limits thujone to 35mg/kg in alcoholic beverages; IFRA restricted; wormwood also contains chamazulene (anti-inflammatory) but thujone dominates risk

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium).

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 wormwood oil (artemisia absinthium)

  • Personal Care — absinthe-scented products
  • Food — absinthe, vermouth, bitters

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium):

  • Avoidance (no chemical substitute)
    Trade-offs: Direct chemical substitution requires verification that the replacement does not introduce new hazards (regrettable substitution). Conduct full hazard assessment of proposed alternative before adoption.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain wormwood oil (artemisia absinthium)?

Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium) appears in: absinthe-scented products (Personal care); absinthe (Food); vermouth (Food).

See Wormwood oil (Artemisia absinthium) in the body app

Look up products containing wormwood oil (artemisia absinthium), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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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 →