Methyl Salicylate
Aroma Chemical Heart Note CAS 119-36-8
Strong, sweet wintergreen with a minty, medicinal character. Used in traces, it adds a fruity, solar nuance to tuberose and orange blossom accords.
Odor profile
| Note | Heart Note |
| Descriptor 1 | Herbal |
| Descriptor 2 | Medicinal |
| Descriptor 3 | Ylang |
| Odor Impact1 | 450 |
| Tenacity1 | 2 h |
| Tenacity2 | 8 h |
1 Source: PerfumersWorld
2 Source: The Good Scents Company
Both tenacity figures are blotter life. The two labs use different evaluation protocols, so the numbers are not directly comparable — read them as two independent readings, not as a contradiction.
Identification
| CAS Number | 119-36-8 |
| INCI Name | Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate |
| Category | Aroma Chemical |
| Formula | C8H8O3 |
| Mol. Weight | 152.15 |
| IUPAC Name | methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate |
| InChIKey | OSWPMRLSEDHDFF-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
Synonyms
Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, Wintergreen Oil, Sweet Birch Oil, Teaberry Oil, Methyl 2-Hydroxy Benzoate, Methyl ortho hydroxybenzoate, Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, methyl ester, synthetic sweet birch oil, birch-me, 2-carbomethoxyphenol, hewedolor, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, o-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, linsal, 2-( methoxycarbonyl) phenol, 2-( methoxycarbonyl)phenol, methyl o-hydroxybenzoate, methyl ortho-hydroxybenzoate, methyl salicylate (+), methyl salicylate BP, methyl salicylate extra pure, methyl salicylate FCC, methyl salicylate fractions, methyl salicylate low phenol, methyl salicylate natural, methyl salicylate NF FCC, methyl salicylate NF grade, methyl salicylate synthetic, methyl salicylate synthetic NF/FCC, methyl salicylate USP, methylsalicylate, metsal liniment, rheumabal, rhodiaflor, salicylic acid methyl ester, synthetic teaberry oil, synthetic wintergreen oil
Physical and chemical data
| Boiling Point | 222.2 °C |
| Melting Point | -8.6 °C |
| Flash Point | 96.1 °C |
| Density | 1.174 |
| Refractive Index | 1.5369 |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.0975 mmHg at 68 °F ; 1 mmHg at 129 °F (NTP, 1992) |
| LogP | 2.3 |
| Solubility | Sol in water: 0.74%w @ 30 °C |
| Appearance | Methyl salicylate appears as colorless yellowish or reddish liquid with odor of wintergreen. (USCG, 1999) |
Regulatory status
| Critical Effect | Dermal Sensitization And Systemic Toxicity |
Restricted components
| Component | Share |
|---|---|
| Linalool | 0.1 % |
| Benzyl Alcohol | 0.1 % |
| Eugenol | 0.06 % |
IFRA regulated substances declared for this material. For naturals — which are mixtures of many molecules — the interactive index derives the effective maximum concentration per category from them. On single molecules these shares are purity traces from the supplier specification; they are far too small to limit use and are therefore not counted.
EU allergen declaration
| Substance | Share |
|---|---|
| Linalool | 0.1 % |
| Benzyl alcohol | 0.1 % |
| Eugenol | 0.06 % |
Substances that must be named in the ingredient list under Annex III of Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545. Where a range was given, the upper bound is shown.
All figures on this page are guide values collected from public reference works and supplier declarations. They differ between batches, origins and qualities. The data sheet of your own supplier is always the authoritative document for the material you actually use.