METHYL EUGENOL
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 16499
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
METHYL EUGENOL: Allowed with restrictions, with limits depending on the product type (Annex III, entry 102), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Annexes of the Regulation consulted on 23 October 2026.
Who it concerns
What official classifications and rules say for each group. A classification describes the hazard of the pure substance, not the risk of a product that contains it, which depends on the dose and the exposure.
Prohibition or serious classificationThe text prohibits the substance for this use, or ranks it among the most serious hazards (known or presumed carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic, identified endocrine disruptor).Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No classification harmonised by the European Union covers reproduction, the unborn child or breastfeeding for this substance. This does not mean it has been judged to have no effect during pregnancy.
Babies and children
The Cosmetics Regulation sets no age-related condition for this ingredient.
Skin, eyes and allergies
No harmonised classification for sensitisation, irritation or eye damage, and no obligation to label it as an allergen.
Environment
No harmonised classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment, and it is not on ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency.'s Candidate List as an endocrine disruptor for the environment.
Read on the label
The Cosmetics Regulation requires no warning to be printed for this ingredient.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Fragrance.
Perfuming.
Functions declared in the CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Definitions of functions (decision repealed on 8 May 2020, cited for information). Decision 2006/257/EC, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (definitions of functions), retrieved 22 October 2026.
What the rules say
Allowed, with restrictions: Annex III sets a maximum concentration and the product types allowed. Ingredient lists do not give quantities, so the concentration cannot be checked on the label.
CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Origin and odour
Molecule occurring naturally in plants or organisms; the cosmetic ingredient may be extracted from them, produced by fermentation or synthesised: the label does not say which.
Basis: one CosIng CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 201 taxa; examples: Asarum sieboldii, Asarum asperum, Croton eluteria, Croton argyrophyllus, Zieria arborescens.
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Odour described (source text in English)
Clove, carnation odorLewis, R.J. Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 10th ed. Volumes 1-3 New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1999., p. V2: 112
HSDB, NLM web policies, public domain. PubChem (NCBI, NIH): odor descriptions of fragrance ingredients, with their references, retrieved 24 October 2026.
Odour described (source text in English)
Mild-spicy, slightly herbal odorGerhartz, W. (exec ed.). Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. 5th ed.Vol A1: Deerfield Beach, FL: VCH Publishers, 1985 to Present., p. VA11: 198 (1998)
HSDB, NLM web policies, public domain. PubChem (NCBI, NIH): odor descriptions of fragrance ingredients, with their references, retrieved 24 October 2026.
Other names: méthyleugénol (French), Methyleugenol (German), Metil eugenol (Spanish), metileugenolo (Italian), metileugenol (Portuguese).
Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.
Present in 0.0% of recorded cosmetics (0 out of 19 301).
Open Beauty Facts, export of cosmetic products, retrieved 23 October 2026.
Data “Open Beauty Facts and its contributors”, licensed under ODbL 1.0 (opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0); derived table distributed under the same licence.
The text of the annexes
Allowed with restrictions
| Product type | Maximum concentration |
|---|---|
| (a) Fine fragrance | 0.01% |
| (b) Eau de toilette | 0.004% |
| (c) Fragrance cream | 0.002% |
| (d) Other leave-on products and oral products | 0.0002% |
| (e) Rinse-off products | 0.001% |
- Entry
- Annex III, No 102
- Substance
- 1,2-Dimethoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-benzene
- Glossary names
- METHYL EUGENOL
- CAS
- 93-15-2
- EC
- 202-223-0
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III, entry 102. CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, adopted on 30 November 2009.
SCCSEU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety: it assesses cosmetic ingredients. opinions cited: Opinion concerning Methyleugenol.
What has changed, and what will change
Dates of the texts that cover this ingredient. A text date may cover several substances: the details of each entry are below.
Annex III, entry 102: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
Annex III, entry 102: applies from this date
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 35289
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 93-15-2
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 202-223-0
- Declared functions
- Fragrance, Perfuming
CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Elsewhere in the world
Information on other jurisdictions, with no effect on sale in France. What is covered, and what is not yet.
Comparison between countries
Most restrictive status in each country, and the maximum concentration cited. The details and the source of each rule follow.
| Country | Rule | Maximum concentration cited |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Allowed with restrictions | 0.0002 to 0.01% |
| United Kingdom | Allowed with restrictions | 0.0002 to 0.01% |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 0.0002 to 0.01% |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | Prohibited in certain cases (see the rule) | not cited |
| China | Prohibited differs from the EU | not cited |
| Australia | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| Brazil | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
Same entries as in the European Union. Their maximum concentrations are compared in the “Comparison between countries” table; other conditions (product types, warnings) may differ.
Annexes II to VI in force. United Kingdom, Annexes II to VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as retained and amended, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Northern Ireland applies EU law.
Switzerland
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).
Switzerland, FDHA Ordinance on Cosmetic Products (OCos, SR 817.023.31), consolidated version, retrieved 22 October 2026.
United States, federal rules
None of the integrated sections of the federal code (21 CFR 700.11 to 700.27 and 250.250) targets this name. The FDA does not publish a list of allowed ingredients.
United States, 21 CFR part 700 and section 250.250 (FDA rules on cosmetic ingredients), eCFR, retrieved 21 October 2026.
The eCFR is not an official legal edition of the Code of Federal Regulations.
South Korea
- Prohibited: 메칠유게놀(다만, 식물추출물에 의하여자연적으로 함유되어 다음 농도 이하인 경우에는 제외. 향료원액을 8% 초과하여 함유하는 제품 0.01%, 향료원액을 8% 이하로 함유하는 제품 0.004%, 방향용 크림 0.002%, 사용 후씻어내는 제품 0.001%, 기타 0.0002%) (METHYL EUGENOL)
별표 1 (prohibited substances), entry 258, page 13.
South Korea, MFDS Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics, Notification 2026-19, retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 식품의약품안전처 (MFDS), 화장품 안전기준 등에 관한 규정, via law.go.kr; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
China
- Prohibited: 甲基丁香酚，天然香料含有的除外 (Methyleugenol （CAS No 93-15-2） except for normal content in the natural essences used)
表1 化妆品禁用原料目录 (prohibited substances, 2021年第74号), entry 903, page 附件2 (.doc) table row 903 ; TID reprint p.36.
China, NMPA catalogues of prohibited cosmetic ingredients (2021 No. 74, revised up to 2026), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Source: 国家药品监督管理局 (NMPA); plant catalogue as reprinted by the Trade and Industry Department of Hong Kong; table formatted by the publisher of this site.
Reports in California
80 products reported with this ingredient, excluding discontinued products. Reports may concern earlier formulas, including chemicals since removed. This is company reporting, not a product test or a measure of quantity. See the products (in French). California and EU rules differ.
California Safe Cosmetics Program, Chemicals in Cosmetics, retrieved 23 October 2026.
California Department of Public Health, California Safe Cosmetics Program
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.