Benzoic acid

Say itben-ZOH-ik acid

Nearly odorless white crystals; a faint balsamic note.

What it is: There to carry, keep or colour the perfume, not for its smell.
Where it comes from: occurs naturally in benzoin resin (up to 20%), tolu balsam and berries
What perfumers do with it: A cosmetic preservative; in fragrance only a minor balsamic component, also carried in by benzoin and tolu balsam.
Worth knowing: It is named after gum benzoin, which holds up to 20% of it, and Nostradamus described distilling it from that resin in 1556.
Rules: Limited. EU preservative limits (0.5% leave-on, 2.5% rinse-off); not on the 2023/1545 allergen list
Also called: benzoic acid; E210; benzenecarboxylic acid; phenylformic acid

On the label of 14 of the 452 perfumes read so far