RUŌOD Lab

Eugenol

Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral

clove, spicy, warm — heart note.

Aroma illustration for Eugenol: cloves, for its clove note. It illustrates smell associations, not the material or its source.Skeletal formula of Eugenol, C10H12O2, drawn from PubChem's 2D record. Stereochemistry is not shown.
Aroma View: an illustration of what Eugenol smells like (clove), drawn by RUŌOD Lab — not its appearance or its source.Skeletal formula drawn by RUŌOD Lab from PubChem's 2D record (CID 3314). Stereochemistry is not shown; the coloured background is decoration.
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By the RUŌOD Lab TeamRevision 1Updated

In short

Eugenol is the main constituent of clove oil and is also found in carnation, cinnamon leaf and bay. It gives a warm, spicy clove note.

What Eugenol smells like

Eugenol is the main odorant of clove. The Good Scents Company lists sweet, spicy, clove and woody; a supplier describes it as warmly spicy with a clear clove note, slightly smoky, mildly sweet and balsamic, with a faint medicinal, antiseptic nuance. It dominates clove bud, clove leaf, cinnamon leaf, pimento and bay oils. It is a skin sensitiser, and IFRA restricts it.

Leading note
Clove
Supporting facets
Woody, medicinal
Faint facets
Smoky, balsamic
Character
Warm, spicy, sharp
  • clove
  • spicy
  • warm

What makes Eugenol distinctive

The clove note itself, with the medicinal, dental edge clove oils share.

How Eugenol is used

Used in carnation, spicy, oriental and fougère compositions, and in clove and spice flavours.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Eugenol differs from similar materials

Eugenyl Acetate
Eugenyl acetate is milder and sweeter, with floral and carnation facets; eugenol is the sharper, more medicinal clove.
Isoeugenol
Isoeugenol is softer and rounder, more carnation than clove, with a smoky-balsamic undertow.
Clove Bud Oil
Clove bud oil is mostly eugenol, with eugenyl acetate adding a sweeter, fruitier warmth.
Cinnamon Leaf Oil
Cinnamon leaf oil is mostly eugenol, with a faint cinnamon undertone and a harsher, drier edge.
4-Ethylguaiacol
4-Ethylguaiacol adds smoke and a bacon-like note to a clove; eugenol is plain clove, warm and medicinal.

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. 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. It can discolour with iron.

Identity and classification

Type
Aroma chemical
Origin
Occurs in nature
Odour family
Spicy / Floral
Note position
Heart note
Physical form at room temperature
Liquid
CAS number
97-53-0
Molecular formula
C10H12O2
Molecular weight
164.2 g/mol
IUPAC name
2-methoxy-4-prop-2-enylphenol

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 3314, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Eugenol:

  • "Eugenol" — Restriction, 51st Amendment, published 2023-06

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.

Eugenol is one of the 26 fragrance allergens listed individually in Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (label name: Eugenol), 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 (2,820 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (99.8% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (80.4% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (20.6% of reports); H302 harmful if swallowed (17.3% of reports). 5 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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

  • Isoeugenol

    Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral — carnation, spicy, floral, sweet

  • Clove Bud Oil

    Essential oil · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm, sweet

  • Benzyl Salicylate

    Aroma chemical · Floral / Powdery — balsamic, floral, faint, sweet

  • Rose Oil (Rosa damascena)

    Essential oil · Floral / Fruity — rose, honeyed, spicy, fresh

  • Eugenyl Acetate

    Aroma chemical · Spicy / Fruity — clove, spicy, sweet, fruity

Eugenol is also suggested as a partner on the pages for alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde, Benzyl Isoeugenol, Carnation Absolute, Cinnamyl Nitrile, Holy Basil Oil and Methyl Eugenol.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 15 published formulas

Eugenol is an ingredient in 5 perfume formulas, 8 accords and 2 bases in the Formula & Accord Library.

Community formulas

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Further reading

  • How to Make a Carnation Accord

    Building carnation from eugenol, isoeugenol, rose materials and benzyl salicylate: an illustrative accord, balancing, IFRA and EU allergen limits, and records.

  • Spicy Notes in Perfumery: Warm and Fresh Spices

    Warm and fresh spice materials, their key constituents, why cinnamon and clove are closely restricted, and how to build warmth within the limits.

Questions about Eugenol

Is Eugenol natural or synthetic?

The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Eugenol 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 Eugenol?

97-53-0. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Eugenol?

Eugenol is used in 15 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Banana Bread, Cannabis Base and Carnation Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Is Eugenol covered by an IFRA Standard?

Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "Eugenol" — Restriction, 51st Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.

Sources

Your own records, next to the reference

Keep your own record of Eugenol — supplier, cost, stock, dilutions and where it is used — in RUŌOD Lab's material library.

The material library All materials