METHYL SALICYLATE
Official label name (INCIInternational name of cosmetic ingredients: the one printed on the pack. name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 16572
- Allowed with restrictions (Annex III)
METHYL SALICYLATE: Allowed with restrictions, with limits depending on the product type (Annex III, entry 324), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Good to know: classified as a sensitiser (skin allergy); classified toxic for reproduction (category 2); hazardous to the aquatic environment; prohibited in products for children under 6; allergen to name on the label above 0.001% in a leave-on product and 0.01% in a rinse-off product. 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
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watching Classified under the CLPEU regulation that classifies chemicals by their hazards (EC No 1272/2008). Regulation: reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2), a hazard to the unborn child. The European Union nevertheless allows it under the conditions of its annex, after an opinion of its Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCSEU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety: it assesses cosmetic ingredients.).
For a question about your own situation, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.
Babies and children
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).
Prohibition or serious classification Annex III, entry 324, prohibits it in products intended for children under 6: “Not to be used in preparations for children under 6 years of age, with the exception of (k) “Toothpaste”.”
For a question about your own situation, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.
Skin, eyes and allergies
Worth watchingThe text sets a condition or flags a hazard worth knowing: allergen, suspected effect, condition for children, hazard to the aquatic environment.
Worth watching Classified under the CLP Regulation: skin sensitisation, category 1B (Skin Sens. 1B).
Worth watching Allergen to declare: Annex III, entry 324, requires it to be named in the ingredient list above 0.001% in a leave-on product and 0.01% in a rinse-off product, so that allergic people can avoid it.
Environment
For informationOfficial information with no condition on a finished product: warning to read, irritation of the pure substance.
For information Classified under the CLP Regulation: hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 3 (Aquatic Chronic 3).
Read on the label
The Cosmetics Regulation requires no warning to be printed for this ingredient.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
In plain words
What it is used for
Functions declared by manufacturers:
Denaturant: renders cosmetics unpalatable. Mostly added to cosmetics containing ethyl alcohol.
Oral care: provides cosmetic effects to the oral cavity, e.g. cleansing, deodorising, protecting.
Soothing: helps lightening discomfort of the skin or of the scalp.
Perfuming.
Flavouring.
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.
Hazard and risk
The CLP Regulation classifies this substance as toxic for reproduction, category 2 (suspected effect, without enough evidence for a higher category).
This classification describes what the substance can cause (a hazard), not what happens when using a product (a risk): the risk depends on the dose, the form and the route of exposure (skin, inhalation, ingestion).
Classified as a category 2 CMRCarcinogenic, mutagenic (damages DNA) or toxic for reproduction. and allowed under the conditions of Annex III, after an SCCS assessment.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 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): 91 taxa; examples: Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum, Filipendula ulmaria, Prunus domestica, Prunus avium.
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)
LIQUID HAVING THE CHARACTERISTIC ODOR OF WINTERGREENGoodman, L.S., and A. Gilman. (eds.) The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1975., p. 335
HSDB, NLM web policies, public domain. PubChem (NCBI, NIH): odor descriptions of fragrance ingredients, with their references, retrieved 24 October 2026.
Other names: salicylate de méthyle (French), Salicylsäuremethylester (German), Salicilato de metilo (Spanish), Salicilato di metile (Italian), salicilato de metila (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 0.3% of recorded cosmetics (64 out of 19 458), mainly: mouthwash, mouthwashes.
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) Leave-on skin products (except face makeup, spray/aerosol body lotion, spray/aerosol deodorant and hydroalcoholic-based fragrances) and leave on hair products (except spray/aerosol products) | 0.06% |
| (b) Face makeup (except lip products, eye makeup and makeup remover) | 0.05% |
| (c) Eye makeup and makeup remover | 0.002% |
| (d) Leave-on hair products (spray/aerosol) | 0.009% |
| (e) Deodorant spray/aerosol | 0.003% |
| (f) Body lotion spray/aerosol | 0.04% |
| (g) Rinse-off skin products (except hand wash) and rinse-off hair products | 0.06% |
| (h) Hand wash | 0.6% |
| (i) Hydroalcoholic-based fragrances | 0.6% |
| (j) Lip products | 0.03% |
| (k) Toothpaste | 2.52% |
| (l) Mouthwash intended for children aged 6–10 years | 0.1% |
| (m) Mouthwash intended for children above 10 years of age and adults | 0.6% |
| (n) Mouth spray | 0.65% |
- Other conditions
- Not to be used in preparations for children under 6 years of age, with the exception of (k) “Toothpaste”. The presence of the substance shall be indicated in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1), point (g), when its concentration exceeds: — 0,001 % in leave-on products — 0,01 % in rinse-off products.
- Entry
- Annex III, No 324
- Substance
- Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate
- Glossary names
- METHYL SALICYLATE
- CAS
- 119-36-8
- EC
- 204-317-7
Dates in the act (3)
- Entry into force on 16 August 2023
- Placing on the market until 31 July 2026
Cosmetic products containing that substance that do not comply with the restrictions may be placed on the Union market until 31 July 2026 and made available on the Union market until 31 July 2028.
- Making available until 31 July 2028
Cosmetic products containing that substance that do not comply with the restrictions may be placed on the Union market until 31 July 2026 and made available on the Union market until 31 July 2028.
Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III, entry 324. CosIng, Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (restricted substances), retrieved 23 October 2026, source updated 13 October 2026.
Entry from Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, adopted on 26 July 2023.
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.
CLP classification “Repr. 2” applicable at the latest from this date (Regulation (EU) 2021/849)
Annex III, entry 324: introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545
Annex III, entry 324: a new product that does not comply can no longer be placed on the market
- upcoming
Annex III, entry 324: a product that does not comply can no longer be sold, even from stock
Identity
- CosIng identifier
- 35325
- CAS (according to CosIng)
- 119-36-8
- EC (according to CosIng)
- 204-317-7
- Declared functions
- Denaturant, Oral care, Soothing, Perfuming, Flavouring
- Wikidata
- Q407669
- PubChem
- 4133
- ECHA InfoCard
- 100.003.925
- InChIKey
- OSWPMRLSEDHDFF-UHFFFAOYSA-N
CosIng inventory. CosIng, inventory of cosmetic ingredients (INCI names, CAS, EC, functions), retrieved 21 October 2026.
Wikidata, items with a CosIng identifier (P3073), retrieved 22 October 2026.
Wikidata, PubChem and ECHAEuropean Chemicals Agency. links are published only when verified: same CosIng identifier, a single item, matching CAS number.
Classified hazard (CLP Regulation)
The harmonised classification is the one set by the European Union for the whole Union. H codes refer to the hazard statements of Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
methyl salicylate
Reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2)
- Hazard classes
- Reproductive toxicity, category 2 (Repr. 2)
Acute toxicity, category 4 (Acute Tox. 4)
Skin sensitisation, category 1B (Skin Sens. 1B)
Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long term, category 3 (Aquatic Chronic 3) - Hazard statements
- H361d H302 H317 H412
Annex VI, entry 607-749-00-8, linked by CAS 119-36-8. Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP), consolidated version, Annex VI table 3, retrieved 21 October 2026.
Entry introduced or replaced by Regulation (EU) 2021/849, applicable at the latest from 17 December 2022.
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 | 0.002 to 2.52% |
| United Kingdom | Allowed with restrictions differs from the EU | 0.001 to 2.5% |
| Switzerland | EU Regulation applies | 0.002 to 2.52% |
| United States (federal) | No federal rule recorded | not cited |
| Japan | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| South Korea | No entry in the lists recorded | not cited |
| China | Not on the prohibited lists recorded (lists of allowed substances are not recorded) | 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.
Recorded cosmetics that contain it
64 recorded products list it, according to Open Beauty Facts contributors. Records are dated: the formula may have changed. See the list (in French).
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.
Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 23 October 2026.