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  • cleaning
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Menthol

CAS 1490-04-6

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Menthol in plain language

What it is

Also known as Mentholum · Unspecified form menthol · 1-METHYL-4-ISOPROPYL-3-CYCLOHEXANOL · 2-ISOPROPYL-5-METHYLCYCLOHEXAN-1-OL · 2-ISOPROPYL-5-METHYLCYCLOHEXANOL · 3-HYDROXY-P-MENTHANE

Show all 30 names

5-METHYL-2-(1-METHYLETHYL)CYCLOHEXANOL · 5-METHYL-2-ISOPROPYLCYCLOHEXANOL · 5-Methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexan-1-ol · Bohenao · Fisherman's friend lozenges · Hexahydrothymol · L-menthol or dl-menthol · Levomenthol or racementhol · Levorotatory-menthol or racemic-menthol · Menthacamphor · Unspecified menthol · Menthomenthol · Menthyl alcohol · P-MENTHAN-3-OL · Peppermint camphor · Therapeutic mineral ice · Thymomenthol · Cyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)- · D,L-Menthol (Isomer Unspecified) · DL-Menthol · Menthol (unspecified isomer) · menthol 1.0% · menthol crystols · Salonpas component menthol

What it does

Used in consumer products as a humectant, a fragrance ingredient and a flavouring.

  • Humectant
  • Fragrance
  • Flavouring
  • Astringent
  • Deodorant
  • Refreshing
Is it a concern?
We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Menthol appears in these published regulatory listings.

  • In marketed US drugs
  • Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Pharma
  • Food
  • Industrial
  • USFDAinactive ingredient database24 entries — 8 administration routes
    • Route: BUCCAL; Dosage form: GUM, CHEWING; Maximum daily exposure: 89 mgSource →
    • Route: BUCCAL; Dosage form: MOUTHWASH; Potency: 0.15 mg/1mlSource →
    • Route: DENTAL; Dosage form: PASTE, DENTIFRICE; Potency: 4.7 %w/wSource →
    • Route: DENTAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: NASAL; Dosage form: DROPS; Potency: 40.32 mgSource →
    • Route: NASAL; Dosage form: INHALANT; Potency: 32 mgSource →
    • Route: NASAL; Dosage form: JELLY; Potency: 32.5 mgSource →
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: DROPS; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Potency: 0.87 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CONCENTRATE; Potency: 0.05 mg/5mlSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 3 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION, CONCENTRATE; Potency: 0.5 mg/1mlSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 1 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SYRUP; Potency: 7.5 mg/5mlSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Potency: 0.58 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, ORALLY DISINTEGRATING; Potency: 14 mgSource →
    • Route: RESPIRATORY (INHALATION); Dosage form: AEROSOL, METERED; Potency: 0.02 %w/wSource →
    • Route: RESPIRATORY (INHALATION); Dosage form: AEROSOL, SPRAY; Potency: 0.02 %w/wSource →
    • Route: SUBLINGUAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 2 mgSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: 0.1 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: GEL; Potency: 0.1 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Potency: 0.05 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SOAP; Potency: 0.75 %w/wSource →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2036 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug, Construction and building materials. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Sensate, Flavouring and nutrient.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2036 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug, Construction and building materials. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Sensate, Flavouring and nutrient.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1830 active drug products and 1874 total products.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 1830 active drug products and 1874 total products.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as mixture.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as mixture.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Menthol. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

  • 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.

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    No JECFA evaluation on file.

  • EFSA

    European Food Safety Authority

    No EFSA opinion on file.

Evidence & sources

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

6 data sources

Where this comes from

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated september 25, 2015

    Open →

  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →

  • FDA Inactive Ingredient Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-01-09

    Open →

  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2030-06-01

    Open →

  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →

  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →

Allergen profile

Canonical allergen markers detected on this ingredient. Each row is derived from the ingredient’s name or synonyms matching a known allergen class — useful when scanning a label for a specific allergy context.

  • FishContains · Oral (ingested)

    Source: chemindex_name_match

Suitability

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

Food use

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

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 Menthol in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

2,036

Named organisations

6

Personal careFood and drugConstruction and building materialsCleaning and safetyCleaning products and household care

Typical roles

HumectantFragranceFlavouringAstringentDeodorantRefreshing
See products using Menthol →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 1000+ →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Menthol in the catalog.