What is it?
An extract of clove flowers, the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree, Syzygium aromaticum, listed on labels under its older name Eugenia caryophyllus. Cloves owe their warm, spicy smell to eugenol, the main component of clove oil. Depending on the solvent, an extract carries some eugenol along with polyphenols and flavonoids. In cosmetics it is listed as a fragrance, oral care, astringent and tonic ingredient.
Key information
- Clove oils are 75 to 92 percent eugenol, while extracts can contain far less, such as 0.039 percent in one clove bud tincture.
- The SCCS lists eugenol among 12 fragrance allergens of special concern because of the number of reported cases.
- EU labels must name eugenol above 0.001 percent in leave-on and 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.
- IFRA limits eugenol to between 0.14 and 18 percent of the finished product, depending on product type.
More information
Cloves and their preparations, including alcohol extracts, are used to flavor a wide range of foods. Clove oils distilled from the buds, leaves or stems are 75 to 92 percent eugenol, according to the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). An extract can carry far less: a clove bud tincture assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2024 contained on average about 0.5 percent polyphenols and 0.039 percent eugenol, with only traces of methyleugenol and estragole.
Eugenol is the reason for caution. The SCCS counts it among 12 fragrance chemicals of special concern, each linked to more than 100 reported allergy cases, and classes clove leaf and flower oil as an established contact allergen; in one specialized patch-test series, 1.5 percent of 6,893 patients reacted to clove oil. EU labels must name eugenol above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products, and products placed on the EU market after July 31, 2026, must also name clove oils at those levels. IFRA limits eugenol to between 0.14 and 18 percent of the finished product, depending on the product type.
EFSA concluded that even the dilute tincture should be treated as a skin and eye irritant and a skin and respiratory sensitizer for people handling it, citing its eugenol. For consumers, what matters is how much eugenol a finished product delivers, which depends on the extract and how much of it is used. If you are allergic to eugenol or clove, check labels for Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil and Eugenol.
Sources: SCCS: Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (2012); EFSA FEEDAP Panel (2024): Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a tincture derived from the flowers of Syzygium aromaticum (clove tincture); IFRA: Standard for eugenol (Amendment 51); EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens
