Benzyl Salicylate Worst Fragrance Synthetic and Natural No known benefits Benzyl Salicylate at a glance Volatile fragrance chemical Has a sweet, floral odor Can cause negative skin reactions even in small amounts Benzyl Salicylate description Benzyl salicylate is a volatile fragrance chemical with a sweet, floral odor used to impart scent to cosmetic products and perfumes. Applied topically, benzyl salicylate can cause negative reactions, even in small amounts. Interestingly, you can find research showing that this fragrance ingredient did not cause observable skin sensitivity under conditions of a patch test on human skin; however, this research was conducted by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, an independent research group that’s supported by suppliers of fragrances and products that contain fragrances.