Methyl Benzoate
AKA “benzoic acid methyl ester, Methylbenzoate, Benzoic acid, methyl ester, Clorius, Methyl benzenecarboxylate, Essence of niobe, FEMA No. 2683”
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Methyl benzoate
AKA: Benzoic acid methyl ester, Methylbenzoate, Benzoic acid, Methyl ester, Clorius, Methyl benzenecarboxylate, Essence of niobe, FEMA No. 2683
Synthetic · Emollient · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Emollient
Preservative
Solvent
Skin Conditioner
Synthetic
Clean
Helps preserve freshness while softening and conditioning skin. Also works as a natural solvent to blend ingredients seamlessly.
Solubility less than 1 mg/mL at 72.5 °F (NTP, 1992)
Formula
C8H8O2
Mol. Weight
136.15
CAS #
93-58-3
Form
Liquid
State
Methyl benzoate appears as a crystalline solid or a solid dissolved in a liquid. Denser than water. Contact may slightly irritate skin, eyes and mucous membranes. May be slightly toxic by ingestion. U
See origin →
Functions
Preservative
Keeps your product from growing bacteria, mold, or yeast. Without these, that jar of cream becomes a petri dish in about a week.
Emollient
Fills in the tiny cracks between skin cells to make everything feel smooth and soft. The "silky finish" ingredient.
Solvent
Dissolves other ingredients so they distribute evenly in the formula. Often the invisible "base" everything else is mixed into.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
A synthetic ester developed in the 19th century, later adopted for cosmetics. Used as a preservative booster and fragrance component in skincare and color cosmetic products.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Melanin-Rich Skin
Suitable
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
4
CIR
Safe
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not Phototoxic
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
0.5%
0%1%
Reg. Limit
EU regulatory limit: 0.5%. Source: EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex V (Preservatives), Entry 1a.
Regulatory Agencies
RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, pentanedioic acid, 1,5-dimethyl ester, CAS Registry Number 1119-40-0.
Api AM, Belsito D, Botelho D, Browne D, Bruze M et al.
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 2018
Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its Salts, and Benzyl Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid rescues multisystemic disease and perinatal lethality in a mouse model of mitochondrial disease.
Corral-Sarasa J, Martínez-Gálvez JM, González-García P, Wendling O, Jiménez-Sánchez L et al.
Cell reports, 2024
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Methyl Benzoate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Benzoic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Methyl Benzoate
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Methyl benzoate and nerolidol attract the cyclocephaline beetle Cyclocephala paraguayensis to trumpet flowers.
Favaris AP, Túler AC, Silva WD, Pec M, Rodrigues SR et al.
Die Naturwissenschaften, 2023
Synthesis of mixed esters of ascorbic acid using methyl esters of palm and soybean oils.
Hsieh HJ, Chen JW, Giridhar R, Wu WT
Preparative biochemistry & biotechnology, 2005
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its...
Wilbur Johnson, Wilma F Bergfeld, Donald V Belsito, Ronald A Hill, Curtis D Klaassen, Daniel C Liebler + 5 more
International journal of toxicology, 2017
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its...
Wilbur Johnson, Wilma F Bergfeld, Donald V Belsito, Ronald A Hill, Curtis D Klaassen, Daniel C Liebler + 5 more
International journal of toxicology, 2017
Verified Feb 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR