What is it?
An extract of the flowers of Jasminum grandiflorum, the Spanish jasmine, a mainstay of perfumery. The EU ingredient database lists it as a fragrance, perfuming, moisturizing and hair-conditioning ingredient. Jasmine’s scent is also sold as an absolute, made by extracting the flowers with solvents, and as jasmine oil. All of these carry the flower’s fragrance compounds, led by benzyl acetate, and are used in small amounts in perfumes, skin care and hair care.
Key information
- The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety classifies jasmine extracts and oils as established contact allergens, in its category of 101 to 1,000 reported cases.
- In large patch-test studies of dermatitis patients, roughly 0.4 to 1.5 percent of those tested reacted to jasmine absolute.
- Products placed on the EU market since August 1, 2026, must list it as "Jasmine Oil/Extract" above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.
- Jasmine is on the FDA's list of essential oils and natural extracts generally recognized as safe as food flavorings.
More information
Jasmine’s scent comes mainly from benzyl acetate, with indole, cis-jasmone and methyl jasmonate adding the typical floral note. In jasmine absolute made from J. grandiflorum flowers, the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) lists benzyl acetate at up to 28 percent, benzyl benzoate up to 24 percent, linalool up to 7 percent and eugenol up to 4 percent, with traces of isoeugenol and benzyl salicylate. Several of these are recognized fragrance allergens. How much of them a flower extract contains depends on how it is made, which the label does not say.
In its 2012 opinion on fragrance allergens, the SCCS classified jasmine (J. grandiflorum and J. officinale) as an established contact allergen in humans, in its category of 101 to 1,000 reported cases. In large patch-test studies of dermatitis patients, roughly 0.4 to 1.5 percent of those tested reacted to jasmine absolute, including 1.1 percent of 4,447 patients in one North American study; rates were higher among people already allergic to fragrance. Following that opinion, the EU added jasmine to the fragrance allergens that must be named on labels. Products placed on the EU market since August 1, 2026, must list “Jasmine Oil/Extract” when it exceeds 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products; older stock may be sold until July 31, 2028.
Jasmine is also on the FDA’s list of essential oils and natural extracts generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as food flavorings. If you are allergic to fragrance, look for Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract or “Jasmine Oil/Extract” on labels; in a perfume blend it may appear only as fragrance or parfum (see our Fragrances/Parfum profile). Common jasmine, Jasminum officinale, has its own Jasmine Flower Extract profile.
Sources: SCCS: Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (2012); Official Journal of the EU: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens; Cornell LII: 21 CFR 182.20, Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives; European Commission CosIng: Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract
