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Annex III Entry 338 14/09/2023

Menthol

Menthol; dl-menthol; l-menthol; d-menthol

Menthol is listed in Annex III and may only be used under the conditions shown in this record.

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Restricted substance— Annex III, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 338

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 1490-04-6
CAS 1490-04-6PubChem CID 1254

Menthol

P-menthan-3-ol is any secondary alcohol that is one of the eight possible diastereoisomers of 5-methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexan-1-ol. It has a role as a volatile oil component. It is a p-menthane monoterpenoid and a secondary alcohol. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexan-1-ol
Molecular formula
C10H20O
Molecular weight
156.26 g/mol
Exact mass
156.151415257 Da
XLogP3
3.0
Topological polar surface area
20.2 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
1
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

2-Isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanolMenthyl alcoholMentholumCaswell No. 540Mineral ice5-Methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanol3-Hydroxy-p-menthane2-Isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexan-1-ol
16 more reported names
CCRIS 9231EINECS 216-074-4EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 051601HSDB 593AI3-08161Therapeutic mineral iceMENTHOL, UNSPECIFIED FORMEC 216-074-41-Methyl-4-isopropyl-3-cyclohexanolFisherman's friend lozengesUNII-L7T10EIP3ABOHENAORefChem:6462MENTHOL (II)MENTHOL (MART.)MENTHOL, UNSPECIFIED
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External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 15356-60-2
CAS 15356-60-2PubChem CID 165675

(+)-Menthol

(+)-menthol is a p-menthan-3-ol which has (1S,2R,5S)-stereochemistry. In contrast to ()-menthol, the (+)-enantiomer occurs only rarely in nature. It is an enantiomer of a (-)-menthol. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
(1S,2R,5S)-5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexan-1-ol
Molecular formula
C10H20O
Molecular weight
156.26 g/mol
Exact mass
156.151415257 Da
XLogP3
3.0
Topological polar surface area
20.2 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
1
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
3

Also known as

d-Menthol(1S,2R,5S)-(+)-Menthol(1S,2R,5S)-Menthol(1S,2R,5S)-2-Isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanolCyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S,2R,5S)-Menthol, (+)-C6B1OE8P3WMenthol, (1S,3S,4R)-(+)-
16 more reported names
(+)-(1S,2R,5S)-menthol(+)-(1S,3S,4R)-mentholEINECS 239-387-8MENTHOL, D-CHEBI:76306EC 239-387-8Cyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S-(1alpha,2beta,5alpha))-Cryomax Cooling(+)mentholRefChem:390600(1S,2R,5S)Menthol(1S,2R,5S)(+)Menthol5% Menthol Pain Relief PatchMenthol, (1S,3S,4R)(+)Cyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-, [1S-(1.alpha.,2.beta.,5.alpha.)]-(1S,2R,5S)2Isopropyl5methylcyclohexanol
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 2216-51-5
CAS 2216-51-5PubChem CID 16666

(-)-Menthol

(-)-menthol is a p-menthan-3-ol which has (1R,2S,5R)-stereochemistry. It is the most common naturally occurring enantiomer. It has a role as an antitussive, an antispasmodic drug and an antipruritic drug. It is an enantiomer of a (+)-menthol. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexan-1-ol
Molecular formula
C10H20O
Molecular weight
156.26 g/mol
Exact mass
156.151415257 Da
XLogP3
3.0
Topological polar surface area
20.2 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
1
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
3

Also known as

l-MentholLevomentholl-(-)-Menthol(-)-Menthyl alcoholLevomentholumU.S.P. Menthol(1R)-(-)-Menthol(-)-(1R,3R,4S)-Menthol
16 more reported names
D-(-)-Menthol(-)-trans-p-Menthan-cis-ollevomentol(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexan-1-olMenthol, (1R,3R,4S)-(-)-(1R,3R,4S)-(-)-MENTHOLBZ1R15MTK7(1R-(1-alpha,2-beta,5-alpha))-5-Methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanolCHEBI:15409(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanolNSC-62788NPO-11(1alpha,2beta,5alpha)-5-methyl-2(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanolFEMA NO. 2665, (-)-levomentoloRefChem:1049117
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External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Other restrictions

The presence of the substance shall be indicated in the list of ingredients referred to in Article 19(1), point (g), when its concentration exceeds: — 0,001 % in leave-on products — 0,01 % in rinse-off products.

INCI glossary name

Menthol

Chemical name

Menthol; dl-menthol; l-menthol; d-menthol

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EU) 2023/1545

See every entry this act set

Identified ingredients

Key data

CAS
89-78-1 / 1490-04-6 / 2216-51-5 / 15356-60-2
EC
201-939-0/ 216-074-4/ 218-690-9/ 239-387-8
Annex
III
Entry number
338

Inventory links for Menthol

Inventory Identified ingredient
Ref 35228

MENTHOL

CAS: 1490-04-6 / 2216-51-5 / 89-78-1 / 15356-70-4
EC: 216-074-4 / 218-690-9 / 201-939-0 / 239-388-3

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex III are shown as well.

Annex III 337
Nearby record in the same annex

Linalyl Acetate

CAS: 115-95-7
EC: 204-116-4
Annex III 340
Nearby record in the same annex

Salicylaldehyde

CAS: 90-02-8
EC: 201-961-0
Annex III 341
Nearby record in the same annex

Santalol

CAS: 11031-45-1/ 115-71-9/ 77-42-9
EC: 234-262-4/ 204-102-8/ 201-027-2
Annex III 342
Nearby record in the same annex

Sclareol

CAS: 515-03-7
EC: 208-194-0
Annex III 333
Nearby record in the same annex

Carvone

CAS: 99-49-0 / 6485-40-1/ 2244-16-8
EC: 202-759-5/ 229-352-5/ 218-827-2
Annex III 343
Nearby record in the same annex

Terpineol

CAS: 8000-41-7/ 98-55-5/ 138-87-4/ 586-81-2
EC: 232-268-1/ 202-680-6/ 205-342-6/ 209-584-3

What Annex III means for Menthol

Menthol is a restricted substance under Annex III of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Its use in cosmetics is only permitted under the specific conditions set out in the entry above, including applicable concentration limits, product type restrictions and required warning statements.

When including this substance in a formulation, all conditions — maximum concentration, product scope and warning labels — must be met simultaneously. Compliance with one condition does not override the others.

This record is linked to 1 CosIng inventory ingredient for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Document conditions of use in the Product Information File (PIF).

Frequently asked questions

Menthol is listed in Annex III of EU Regulation 1223/2009 as a restricted substance. It may only be used under the conditions specified in the entry, including any maximum concentration, product type limitation and required warning statements shown above.

CAS 89-78-1 / 1490-04-6 / 2216-51-5 / 15356-60-2 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Menthol by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
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Source note for Annex III record Menthol

This page summarizes one Annex III record for Menthol from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex III conditions for Menthol, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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