Bisabolol

What it is

Bisabolol is a single terpene alcohol rather than a plant extract, which is why it appears on a label under its own name instead of a Latin binomial. It is the major component of chamomile flower oil - the Cosmetic Ingredient Review records chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower oil containing as much as 41.45% of the (-)-alpha form - and is also produced synthetically and from the Brazilian candeia tree. Because it is isolated, a formulator can dose it precisely where a chamomile extract would deliver an unpredictable amount.

How it shows up on a label

What it does well

• Has anti-inflammatory activity

  Anti-inflammatory properties are recorded in the Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own summary of the ingredient, and were part of what the panel weighed in its original assessment. What that means for a mask worn for twenty minutes at a fraction of a per cent is a smaller question than the laboratory data alone suggests.

  Moderate evidence

Worth knowing

• It is a penetration enhancer, so it changes what the rest of the list does

  Bisabolol is well absorbed through skin and an in vitro study showed it enhances penetration, with synergistic action alongside propylene glycol. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review cautioned formulators about increased absorption of other ingredients in the same formula, particularly any whose safety rests on not being absorbed. This is a reason to read the whole list rather than a reason to avoid the ingredient.

  Matters most toAnyone weighing a mask that pairs bisabolol with an active they would rather stayed on the surface.

• Cross-reaction in people allergic to the daisy family

  In one patch-test series, four patients reacted to bisabolol at up to 1% or up to 5%, and those subjects also reacted to a sesquiterpene lactone mix or a Compositae mix. A further sixteen subjects intolerant of the same moisturiser did not react to bisabolol at up to 5%. The pattern points to existing Compositae allergy rather than to bisabolol being a common sensitiser.

  Matters most toPeople with a diagnosed chamomile, arnica or Compositae allergy.

Where the EU stands

Sources (2)

Every link goes to the original: a journal, a PubMed record or an EU document.

1. [1]
   Safety Assessment of Bisabolol as Used in Cosmetics

   Cosmetic Ingredient Review, Re-Review · 2015

   The re-review records that "In 1999, the Panel published a final report with the conclusion that bisabolol is safe as used in cosmetic formulations", that the ingredient "is well-absorbed following dermal application" and "is a penetration enhancer" with "synergistic action with propylene glycol", and that the panel "cautioned formulators to the possibility of increased absorption of other ingredients also contained in formulation, especially whose safety is based on their lack of dermal absorption". It also states that "Bisabolol is not restricted from use in any way under the rules governing cosmetic products in the European Union", gives the maximum concentration of use as 1% in leave-on products and 0.001 to 0.5% in pastes, masks and mud packs, and notes chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower oil may contain up to 41.45% (-)-alpha-bisabolol. Checked 26 September 2026.

2. [2]
   Quick Reference Table: CIR conclusions by ingredient

   Cosmetic Ingredient Review · 2024

   The quick reference table lists Bisabolol with an S conclusion - safe as used - citing International Journal of Toxicology 18(S3):33-40, 1999 and 36(Suppl 2):14-58, 2017. Checked 26 September 2026.