Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol

Synthetic Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer: Givaudan

• 🔎 Chemical Name: 2-Phenylethanol

• 🧪 Synonyms: Phenyl Ethanol, β-Phenylethyl alcohol, PEA

• 🧬 Chemical Formula: C₈H₁₀O

• 📂 CAS N°: 60-12-8

• ⚖️ Molecular Weight: 122.16 g/mol

• 📝 Odor Type: Rosy

• 📈 Odor Strength: Weak

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile: Mild, warm, rose-honey floral; moderate to poor tenacity; lower-quality grades may have earthy or green topnotes resembling hyacinth or gassy notes

• ⚗️ Uses: Floral modifier, rose reconstructor, aldehydic or herbaceous softener

• 🧴 Appearance: Colorless liquid

What is Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol?

Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol (PEA) is a synthetic primary alcohol structurally related to benzyl alcohol, produced via petrochemical or biosynthetic pathways. It occurs naturally in rose oil, champaca, and geranium, though natural extraction is economically unfeasible for most industrial applications. PEA is among the most commonly used materials in perfumery, prized for its olfactory neutrality, low allergenicity, and high formulation compatibility.

Though relatively weak and short-lived on its own, it contributes volume, mild sweetness, and a naturalistic floral tone in a wide range of formulations.

Olfactory Profile & Perfumery Applications

👃🏼 Scent Description: A soft, sweet, floral-rosy character with light warmth and honeyed nuance. Functions well as a rosy mid-note builder and modifier for sharp floral edges.

⚗️ Functional Roles:

• Forms the core of rose and carnation-type floral accords

• Enhances muguet, lily, and peony structures

• Adds naturality to aldehydic and herbaceous fragrances

• Serves as a bridge between floral, citrus, and balsamic elements

🧴 Blends well with:

• Citronellol, Geraniol, Nerol, Dimethyloctanol

• Linalool family and modern “lily” and “muguet” alcohols

• Guaiacwood, Coumarin, Nitromusks, Rosetone, Heliotropine

• Spice and lime blends, providing floral lift without intrusion

Industrial & Technical Uses

Used extensively in:

• Fine fragrance (rose blends, soft orientals, vintage chypres)

• Functional perfumery (shampoos, fabric care, body products)

• Flavoring (FEMA 2858): Used in trace amounts for floral-sweet flavor profiles (rose, honey, berry)

While non-fixative, PEA is often supported by fixatives such as coumarin, resinoids, and musks to prolong its olfactory impact.

Regulatory & Safety Overview

• IFRA: Permitted; no concentration limits in most product categories under IFRA 51

• EU Allergens: Not listed among the 26 declarable fragrance allergens

• FEMA GRAS: FEMA 2858 – permitted for flavor use in trace amounts

• ECHA (REACH): Registered; not classified as hazardous

• Toxicology:

  • Low sensitization potential

  • Not phototoxic or endocrine-disruptive

  • Widely used in both fine and functional applications due to its mildness and regulatory acceptance

✅ Considered safe and highly stable for all perfumery and flavor applications under current regulatory frameworks.

Sources

• Givaudan Ingredient Database

• FEMA GRAS Database (2858)

• ECHA Substance Information

• S. Arctander – Perfume and Flavor Chemicals

• Fulvio Ciccolo – Internal Ingredient Commentary, 2023