ABSTRACT
cis-3-Hexenyl salicylate is a colorless clear oily liquid; its odor type is floral and its odor at 100% is described as ‘floral green metallic herbal balsam’. cis-3-Hexenyl salicylate has been identified by chemical analysis in none of 91 essential oils, which have caused contact allergy/allergic contact dermatitis. While searching for causative ingredients of pigmented cosmetic dermatitis in Japan in the 1970s, both patients with ordinary (nonpigmented) cosmetic dermatitis and women with pigmented cosmetic dermatitis were tested with a large number of fragrance materials. In 1980 the accumulated data enabled the classification of fragrant materials into 4 groups: common sensitizers, rare sensitizers, virtually non-sensitizing fragrances and fragrances considered as non-sensitizers. cis-3-Hexenyl acetate was classified in the group of rare sensitizers, indicating that one or more cases of contact allergy/allergic contact dermatitis to it have been observed. More specific data are lacking, the results have largely or solely been published in Japanese journals only.
