What it is
The register’s chemical name for it: “Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- EUGENOL
- CAS number
- 97-53-0
- EC number
- 202-589-1
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Eugenol in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Perfuming
-
Used as a perfume or scent material. Essential oils and their scent compounds, such as linalool and limonene, carry this role.
Register definition: “Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.”
- Denaturant
-
Makes alcohol taste too bad to drink. It is why labels say Alcohol Denat.
Register definition: “Rendering cosmetics unpalatable. Mostly added to cosmetics containing ethyl alcohol to make it unsuitable for ingestion.”
- Tonic
-
The register’s role for ingredients said to give skin and hair a feeling of well-being. Many plant extracts carry it.
Register definition: “Producing a feeling of well-being on skin and hair.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Rinse-out conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Deep conditioners without it
- Leave-in conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Leave-in conditioners without it
Every label, product by product (4)
- Jessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 24th of 31 names
- Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment Deep conditioner 23rd of 30 names
- Bouclème Intensive Moisture Treatment Deep conditioner · listed as **Eugenol 50th of 50 names
- Innersense Organic Beauty Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner · listed as Eugenol† 23rd of 24 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other perfuming ingredients on these labels
- Linalool 63 labels
- Citronellol 24 labels
- Geraniol 24 labels
- Hexyl Cinnamal 21 labels
- Coumarin 15 labels
- Benzyl Salicylate 12 labels
- Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil 11 labels
- Amyl Cinnamal 9 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.