beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Anise alcohol

CAS 105-13-5 · 70/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

185532-75-6

Concern score

70/100High concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Anise alcohol in plain language

What it is: Also known as Anisyl alcohol · (4-Methoxyphenyl)methanol · 4-Methoxybenzyl alcohol · Anisic alcohol · p-Anisyl alcohol · Benzyl alcohol, p-methoxy-
Show all 17 names
P-methoxybenzyl alcohol · (4-Methoxyphenyl)methyl alcohol · (4-methoxyphenyl) methanol · 4-(Hydroxymethyl)anisole · 4-METHOXYBENZENEMETHANOL · 4-Methoxy benzenemethanol · 4-Methoxybenzylalcohol · Anis alcohol · Benzenemethanol, 4-methoxy- · Para methoxybenzyl alcohol · p-Anisol alcohol
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient.
Perfuming
Flavouring agent
Fragrance
Flavouring
Deodorant
Is it a concern?: High concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is restricted in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

4-Methoxybenzyl alcohol is restricted in cosmetic products under Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.

RestrictedEU EC — restricted

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.

EU Annex III — restricted
EU restricted in cosmetics

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEC
Annex III of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances which cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down. Other conditions: The presence of the substance must be indicated in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1)g when its concentration exceeds: - 0.001% in leave-on products - 0.01% in rinse-off products
restricted
View source →

EUCosIngActive2 entries
- Restriction: III/80Source →
- Cosmetics Regulation annex III / ref 80.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of benzyl alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters and acetals (chemical group 23) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
- Flavouring Group Evaluation 52 (FGE.52): Consideration of hydroxy- and alkoxy substituted benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids, and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20 (2005) (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)Source →
GLOBALJECFANo safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agentJECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 232 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Construction. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, No specific technical function, Deodorizer.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 232 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Personal care, Construction. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, No specific technical function, Deodorizer.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of benzyl alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters and acetals (chemical group 23) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Flavouring Group Evaluation 52 (FGE.52): Consideration of hydroxy- and alkoxy substituted benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids, and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20 (2005) (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)
  2008 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Anise alcohol yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

9 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2010-11-04
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated September 2013
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

tobaccodocuments.org

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Anise alcohol in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

232

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesPersonal careConstructionCleaning products and household careVehicle

Typical roles

PerfumingFlavouring agentFragranceFlavouringDeodorant

See products using Anise alcohol →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Anise alcohol; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 76 →Find products without it →