In short
Anisyl alcohol (anise alcohol) has a soft, sweet floral and powdery note reminiscent of hawthorn and lilac.
What Anisyl Alcohol smells like
Anisyl alcohol is a soft, sweet floral alcohol with powdery and balsamic facets. Suppliers describe a soft, floral and slightly balsamic scent; sweet, mild, floral and slightly balsamic with heliotrope and almond; and — in a natural isolate — sweet and softly powdery with lilac, heliotrope, a hint of cherry, balsams and vanilla. It is used to round off sharp edges and add volume to flat florals, and it is one of the 26 fragrance allergens individually named in EU cosmetics law.
- Leading note
- Soft powdery floral
- Supporting facets
- Lilac, vanilla, balsamic
- Faint facets
- Almond, heliotrope
- Character
- Soft, sweet, powdery, mild
What makes Anisyl Alcohol distinctive
The softest of the anisic family — lilac and powder with a vanilla sweetness, and little of anisaldehyde's intensity.
How Anisyl Alcohol is used
Used to round off sharp edges and add volume in lilac, heliotrope, hawthorn and other sweet florals; IFRA restricts it.
Typical role: blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How Anisyl Alcohol differs from similar materials
- Anisaldehyde
- Anisaldehyde is the intense, sweet hawthorn; the alcohol is softer, milder and more balsamic.
- Anisyl Acetate
- The acetate is fruitier, with plum and cherry; the alcohol is softer and more powdery-floral, with lilac.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
A declarable allergen covered by an IFRA Standard.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Powdery / Floral
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Anise alcohol
- CAS number
- 105-13-5
- Molecular formula
- C8H10O2
- Molecular weight
- 138.16 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (4-methoxyphenyl)methanol
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 7738, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Anisyl Alcohol:
- "Anisyl alcohol" — Restriction, 49th Amendment, published 2020-01
Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.
Anisyl Alcohol is one of the 26 fragrance allergens listed individually in Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (label name: Anise alcohol), which must be named on cosmetic labels above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 extended the list; see the fragrance allergens list.
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (2,001 reports): H302 harmful if swallowed (97.3% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (95.5% of reports); H318 causes serious eye damage (91.5% of reports). A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Anisaldehyde
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Floral — anisic, hawthorn, floral, sweet
-
Heliotropin
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Gourmand — powdery, almond, vanilla, floral
-
alpha-Terpineol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Aromatic — lilac, floral, piney, herbal
Anisyl Alcohol is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Anisyl Acetate.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 6 published formulas
Anisyl Alcohol is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 5 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Anisyl Alcohol
Is Anisyl Alcohol natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Anisyl Alcohol may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Anisyl Alcohol?
105-13-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Anisyl Alcohol?
Anisyl Alcohol is used in 6 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Cherry Blossom Accord, Hyacinth Accord and Jasmine Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Is Anisyl Alcohol covered by an IFRA Standard?
Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "Anisyl alcohol" — Restriction, 49th Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 7738, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III.
- Scentspiracy — Anisyl Alcohol — distributor's description.
- Fraterworks — anisyl alcohol — distributor's description.
- Hermitage Oils — Anisyl alcohol natural isolate — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.