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Benzyl Alcohol

What Benzyl Alcohol is & what it does

A gentle, naturally occurring preservative and solvent that protects formulas against microbes while adding a light, subtle scent. It is effective at low levels and widely accepted in modern preservation.

What is Benzyl Alcohol and what does it do in sunscreen?

Benzyl Alcohol is a gentle, naturally occurring preservative and solvent. In a sunscreen it helps protect the formula against bacteria, mould, and yeast over its shelf life, while also dissolving other ingredients and adding a light, subtle scent. It is effective at low levels and is widely used in modern preservation.

Is Benzyl Alcohol safe?

Yes, at cosmetic levels. It is a long-established preservative and solvent that is well tolerated by most people. It is also classed as a fragrance allergen in the EU, so it must be declared on the label, and a small number of sensitive people may react to it, but for most skin it is gentle.

Does Benzyl Alcohol clog pores?

No. Benzyl Alcohol is a lightweight preservative and solvent used in small amounts, not an oil or wax, so it is not considered pore-clogging. If you are breaking out, the richer emollients in a formula are a far more likely cause.

Is Benzyl Alcohol the same as the drying alcohol in toners?

No. Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol used mainly to preserve and dissolve, and it does not have the fast-drying, stripping feel of ethanol (Alcohol Denat). Despite the shared word in the name, it behaves very differently on skin and is used at much lower levels.

Is Benzyl Alcohol natural?

It can be either. Benzyl Alcohol occurs naturally in some plant essential oils and fruits, and a nature-identical synthetic version is also made in the lab for purity and consistency. Both forms do the same preserving and solvent job in a formula.

Sunscreens with Benzyl Alcohol

We rate 777 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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