FRAGRANCE
Phenethyl Alcohol
- fragrance
A rose-scented alcohol that acts as both a mild preservative and a fragrance note.
- products in our library
- 65
- of researched products
- 1%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #29
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How specifically the label has to name it.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Declaration | Declared blend | 3 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Phenethyl Alcohol does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
A declared blend: the individual components are not named unless rules require it.
Anything with water in it needs one, over the life of the bottle.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
16 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Conditioner
11 products
|
secondary · #47 | |
Leave-in
8 products
|
secondary · #35 | |
Styler: mousse
7 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Mask / treatment
5 products
|
secondary · #29 | |
Scalp treatment
4 products
|
secondary · #20 | |
Heat protectant
3 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
3 products
|
secondary · #21 | |
Styler: gel
2 products
|
secondary · #24 | |
Finisher: serum
1 product
|
secondary · #43 |
5 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: hairspray
1 product
|
secondary · #23 | |
Styler: lotion
1 product
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: paste
1 product
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: texture spray
1 product
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
secondary · #16 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 16 | 1% | 29 | 14 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 11 | 1% | 47 | 19 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 8 | 1% | 35 | 26 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 7 | 3% | 10 | 5 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 5 | 1% | 29 | 8 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 4 | 1% | 20 | 9 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 3 | 1% | 11 | 9 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 3 | 4% | 21 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 2 | 1% | 24 | 24 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 1 | 1% | 43 | 43 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 1 | 0% | 23 | 23 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 1 | 3% | 5 | 5 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 1 | 1% | 15 | 15 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 1 | 1% | 18 | 18 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 16 | 16 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 6 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 10 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 16 |
| 26+ | Trace | 33 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
Read from this ingredient’s chemical class. Where we have researched the ingredient itself, that reading replaces the class one.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- a scented product
- a product that keeps over its shelf life
- a rinse-clean feel
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary fragrance, listed below the main ingredients in our shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that the product will suit you if you react to scent
- that the product would be better without one
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Caprylyl Glycol · 28
- Benzyl Alcohol · 28
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 22
- Propanediol · 21
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 19
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 19
- Disodium EDTA · 18
- Citronellol · 17
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice · 16
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 15
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to hold on to water, carry the formula and let it dry, and soften the strand.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Bread Beauty Supply · Styler
hair-foam
#5 on the label · $3.88/oz
The Doux · Styler
GANGSTER WRAP Foaming Wrap Lotion
#5 on the label · $4.50/oz
The Doux · Styler
SILENT TREATMENT 30-Day Anti-Humidity Spray
#5 on the label · $8.45/oz
AG Care · Styler
Mousse Gel Extra-Firm Curl Retention
#6 on the label · $2.50/oz
Acure · Mask / treatment
Bonding Hair Mask
#8 on the label · $2.40/oz
Davines · Styler
This Is A Volume Boosting Mousse
#8 on the label · $4.38/oz
Paul Mitchell · Scalp treatment
Tea Tree Scalp Wellness Scalp Defense Serum
#9 on the label · $18.92/oz
The Doux · Heat protectant
O.P.P. One-Pass Press Heat Protection Spray
#9 on the label · $4.50/oz
CurlMix · Styler
Curl Defining Mousse – Honey Hydration
#10 on the label · $2.50/oz
CurlMix · Styler
Anti-Frizz Mousse – Luscious Lotus
#11 on the label · $3.75/oz
The Doux · Heat protectant
DOUX DROPS Bonding Polish Spray
#11 on the label · $4.50/oz
CurlMix · Shampoo
Anti-Frizz Shampoo – Lightweight Moisture Balance
#14 on the label · $3.75/oz
See all 65 products in the library that list Phenethyl Alcohol
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Phenethyl Alcohol
- CAS 60-12-8
- PubChem 6054
- preservative
- phenethyl alcohol
For your hair?
Whether Phenethyl Alcohol matters for your hair depends on your hair.
65 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem : Compound identity: CID 6054, CAS 60-12-8, C8H10O · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 65 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
