Fragrance allergen

Methyl Salicylate

Methyl salicylate is the wintergreen-scented ester that makes up almost all of wintergreen oil. It is used in perfumes, flavourings, toothpastes and liniments. EU rules name it on labels and set detailed limits by product type.

Formula
C8H8O3
Molar mass
152.15 g/mol
CAS
119-36-8

Where it comes from

ScenTree says methyl salicylate is the main component of wintergreen oil, at 98 to 100 per cent, and is also found in tuberose absolute, ylang-ylang and birch oils. HSDB describes wintergreen oil being distilled from the leaves and methyl salicylate being prepared by reacting salicylic acid with methanol.

Smell and use

The characteristic smell of wintergreen. HSDB records a liquid having the characteristic odour of wintergreen. ScenTree adds that it is a very powerful compound, with a detection threshold of a few tens of parts per billion.

ScenTree lists its use in tuberose and orange blossom notes, where it brings a fruity nuance. HSDB lists the oil in fern and cypress type perfumes and in toothpaste, and a reference lists use as a flavour and as an odorant.

On the label

Named on 1% of the 6,851 perfume ingredient lists we hold (48 perfumes).

EU
Annex III, entry 324. Must be named above 0.001% in leave-on products (0.01% rinse-off).
Great Britain
Not on Great Britain's list, so a GB label need not name it. The EU list does.

SCCS/1459/11 (2012) lists methyl salicylate among established contact allergens in humans, in its lowest band (up to 10 reported positive test reactions). ScenTree says Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 classes it as an allergen to be named above 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Oxford Biosciences notes detailed per-product-type limits for it.

A list that does not name it does not prove it is absent: brands only have to name it above the threshold.

Frequency by concentration

  • Eau de parfum 1% of 4,889
  • Eau de toilette 0% of 1,227
  • Extrait 0% of 341
  • Parfum 4% of 194
  • Cologne 0% of 114
  • Body spray 0% of 42
  • Other 0% of 27

Share of the perfumes we hold a list for, in each concentration.

Named alongside

Share of the lists naming Methyl Salicylate that also name each of these.

Perfumes whose box names it

Common questions

What does methyl salicylate smell like?

Wintergreen. HSDB records the characteristic odour of wintergreen, and ScenTree describes it as a very powerful compound with a detection threshold of a few tens of parts per billion.

Is methyl salicylate natural or synthetic?

Both. ScenTree says it is the main component of wintergreen oil and is also found in tuberose absolute and birch oil. It can also be made synthetically by reacting salicylic acid with methanol.

Why is methyl salicylate on my perfume label?

ScenTree says it is classed as an allergen under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, so it must be named above 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Oxford Biosciences notes separate per-product-type limits.