Benzyl Alcohol

This is an automatic translation

Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic organic compound. It is found naturally in various plants, in tea and, in particular, is the component of some essential oils such as jasmine, neroli, violet and ylang-ylang.

Since the extraction is very expensive, the synthetic analogue is generally used. It has a characteristic and pleasantly aromatic odor.

It is a preservative alcohol with antimicrobial properties, mainly against gram positive bacteria.

In the cosmetic and pharmaceutical fields it can be used in several ways: as a component of fragrances, as a solvent or as a preservative. If used as a preservative it must have a maximum concentration of 1%.

It is highly tolerated on the skin, with a low environmental impact.

However, it presents a criticality: it is included in the list of allergens according to Reg. 1223/2009 / EC, for this reason it must be compulsorily declared on the label when used in concentrations greater than 0.001% in non-rinse cosmetics and greater than 0.01 % in rinse-off products.