In short
Methyl salicylate is the ester that makes up nearly all of wintergreen and sweet birch oils. It has a strong, sweet minty-medicinal odour and is also a trace constituent of tuberose and ylang ylang.
What Methyl Salicylate smells like
Methyl salicylate is the smell of wintergreen: sweet, minty and medicinal, instantly recognisable from liniments and root beer. Perfumer & Flavorist notes that, though both methyl and ethyl salicylate read as wintergreen, the methyl ester has a slightly harsh, phenolic undertone; perfumery listings describe a penetrating medicinal core, camphoraceous and slightly phenolic. It is warmer and sweeter than menthol and lacks its cold blast. It makes up nearly all of wintergreen oil, and occurs in tuberose and other white flowers.
- Leading note
- Wintergreen
- Clear facets
- Medicinal
- Supporting facets
- Phenolic, sweet
- Character
- Sharp, sweet, penetrating, warm
What makes Methyl Salicylate distinctive
Its harshness. Of the wintergreen salicylates it is the sharp, penetrating, medicinal one — the 'dental clinic' smell in excess, a cool green lift in traces.
Concentration and dilution
So strong that it is used in traces; in excess it reads as clinical.
How Methyl Salicylate is used
Used in traces in fougère, green and forest compositions and in tuberose and other white-floral accords; IFRA restricts it.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Methyl Salicylate differs from similar materials
- Ethyl Salicylate
- Perfumer & Flavorist notes that the methyl ester has a slightly harsh, phenolic undertone; ethyl salicylate is softer, sweeter and more floral-fruity. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Wintergreen Oil
- Wintergreen oil is around 96–99% methyl salicylate; the natural oil adds a sweet, fruity top and a smooth, faintly woody dryout. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Methyl Benzoate
- Methyl benzoate is a sweeter floral with a cresol-wintergreen phenolic side; methyl salicylate is wintergreen itself.
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
Recognisable and easily overdone; at high levels the blend reads as a liniment. It is toxic if swallowed in quantity, so label and store with care.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Floral
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Oil of wintergreen (synthetic)
- CAS number
- 119-36-8
- Molecular formula
- C8H8O3
- Molecular weight
- 152.15 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 4133, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. It has a harmonised EU classification (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Annex VI): H302 harmful if swallowed; H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction; H361d suspected of damaging the unborn child; H412 harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (2,210 reports): H302 harmful if swallowed (96.9% of reports). 6 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
-
Methyl Benzoate
Aroma chemical · Floral / Fruity — sweet, floral, fruity, medicinal
-
Tuberose Absolute
Absolute · Floral / Gourmand — white floral, creamy, narcotic, buttery
-
Ylang Ylang Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Spicy — floral, creamy, sweet, banana
-
Benzyl Salicylate
Aroma chemical · Floral / Powdery — balsamic, floral, faint, sweet
Methyl Salicylate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Ethyl Salicylate and Wintergreen Oil.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 7 published formulas
Methyl Salicylate is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 6 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Methyl Salicylate
Is Methyl Salicylate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Methyl Salicylate 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 Methyl Salicylate?
119-36-8. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Methyl Salicylate?
Methyl Salicylate is used in 7 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Marshmallow Accord, Narcotic Floral Accord and Oolong/Jasmine Tea Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 4133, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Perfumer & Flavorist — Flavor bites: ethyl salicylate — published literature.
- Scentspiracy — Methyl salicylate — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Methyl salicylate — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.