According to CosIng, it is the oil expressed from the garlic bulb, Allium sativum L.. Its INCI name is ALLIUM SATIVUM BULB OIL. In trade, the term also covers garlic macerations in another oil, whose INCI differs.

Garlic oil

Q: Is garlic oil regulated in cosmetics?

No specific restriction applies in the EU. It is not on the list of fragrance allergens to declare. The general safety obligations for the finished product still apply.

According to CosIng, garlic oil is the oil expressed from the bulbs of Allium sativum, and it is classified as a fragrance and skin conditioning agent1. Garlic is mostly documented for its adverse skin effects: contact allergy, irritation, burns2 3 4. No cosmetic study has measured the effect of the oil on hair. We claim no benefit.

Mohamed El HjoujiFounder and CEO · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time 6 min

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Garlic oil at a glance

Entry from our cosmetic ingredient glossary. Regulatory data from the European Commission's CosIng database1. Copy the identifiers in one click for your files.

INCI name: ALLIUM SATIVUM BULB OILUS INCI name: Allium sativum (garlic) bulb oil1
Other names: Garlic oilGarlic oil. Depending on the material bought (expressed oil or maceration in an oil), the INCI of the formula differs: rely on the specification sheet
CAS number: 8000-78-0
EC number: None in CosIngCosIng shows "-" for this field1
Botanical origin: Garlic (Liliaceae)Oil expressed from the garlic bulb, Allium sativum L.1
Reference compound in dermatology: Diallyl disulfideA low molecular weight sulfur compound; it gave a positive patch test in a cook allergic to garlic3
CosIng functions: Fragrance, skin conditioning"Fragrance" and "skin conditioning"1
EU status: No restriction specific to the ingredientNot listed in Annexes II to VI of Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, consolidated May 1, 20251 7
Allergen to declare: Not as a fragrance allergenNot listed in Annex III or in the fragrance allergen list of Regulation (EU) 2023/1545; garlic can nevertheless sensitize, see below7 2
Safety (CIR, SCCS): No assessment retainedWe retained no CIR or SCCS assessment for this oil

What the research says

Each result shows the protocol and the level of evidence. The higher the level, the better the result carries over to a finished formula.

Clinical trialReview or consensusLaboratory

Skin and toleranceSkin tolerance

Contact allergy, irritation, burns

Review

2007 reviewAdverse effects in humans

Published cases describe contact allergies, hives and photoallergies, and burns when fresh garlic is applied to the skin, mostly under an occlusive dressing2.

A range of skin reactions linked to garlic

Review

1999 case report and review

Irritation, contact hives, protein contact skin reaction and contact allergy: the spectrum is wide. The person in the case, a cook, had a positive patch test to diallyl disulfide and reactions to the test with fresh garlic3.

An infant with a second-degree burn

Review

2000 case report3-month-old infant

Blistering lesions and a second-degree burn appeared after garlic was applied. The authors review the literature on garlic burns4.

Allium allergy: a rising frequency

Review

2014 reviewOnion and garlic

Garlic and onion allergy is one of the possible causes of contact skin reactions. The authors link the rise in production and use to more frequent problems5.

Hair and scalpHaircare

No cosmetic trial on the oil

Review

PubMed search

We found no peer-reviewed study measuring the effect of a garlic oil on hair or scalp. Hair use is traditional; this page claims no benefit.

A medical trial, outside the cosmetic field

Clinical trial

Randomized trial40 peopleGarlic gel and corticosteroid, 3 months

This trial covers a garlic gel, not the oil, added to a corticosteroid, for a medical type of hair loss. Both groups received the corticosteroid. We do not use its results as a cosmetic claim6.

This page summarizes published literature on a cosmetic ingredient. For garlic, evidence of cosmetic efficacy is almost absent and the literature mostly covers tolerance. It does not describe the effect of a finished product and it is not medical advice.

Which products use garlic oil?

Our white label catalog includes 1 formula with garlic oil, always as a supporting ingredient. Every category can be customized (formula, fragrance, packaging).

1Hair

Supporting oil in a hair oil, at a low dose and subject to tolerance tests.

Hair oils1

In our formulas, it is most often paired with

Argan oil 1 Hemp oil 1 Wheat germ oil 1 Pumpkin seed oil 1 Grapeseed oil 1

Frequently asked questions about garlic oil

What is garlic oil?

According to CosIng, it is the oil expressed from the garlic bulb, Allium sativum L.1. Its INCI name is ALLIUM SATIVUM BULB OIL. In trade, the term also covers garlic macerations in another oil, whose INCI differs.

What are the benefits of garlic oil in cosmetics?

CosIng classifies it as a fragrance and skin conditioning agent1. We found no peer-reviewed study measuring a cosmetic effect of garlic oil: this page announces none. The literature mostly covers its skin reactions2 3 4.

Is garlic oil good for hair?

No controlled study found measures the effect of a garlic oil on hair. Use is traditional. The available trial covers a gel combined with a corticosteroid and a medical endpoint6.

Does garlic oil stop hair loss?

We do not claim it, and a cosmetic product cannot claim this effect. No cosmetic study shows it for garlic oil.

Can garlic oil irritate or burn the skin?

Yes, this is the main point of attention. Burns are described with fresh garlic applied to the skin, mostly under an occlusive dressing2, including a case in a 3-month-old infant4. Contact allergies are also documented2 3. Every formula must be tested on the finished product.

Is garlic oil regulated in cosmetics?

No specific restriction applies in the EU1 7. It is not on the list of fragrance allergens to declare7. The general safety obligations for the finished product still apply.

Can you manufacture a garlic oil hair oil for my brand?

Our catalog includes a formula that contains it as a supporting ingredient (two-phase hair oil), which you can customize. Our formulation lab can also study a custom formula, with tolerance tests. ISO 22716 certified lab, free samples.

Sources

Peer-reviewed studies and official regulatory sources, checked on November 3, 2026.

European Commission. CosIng, entry ALLIUM SATIVUM BULB OIL (CAS 8000-78-0). CosIng 54333
Borrelli F, Capasso R, Izzo AA. Garlic (Allium sativum L.): adverse effects and drug interactions in humans. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007;51(11):1386-1397. doi:10.1002/mnfr.200700072
Jappe U, Bonnekoh B, Hausen BM, Gollnick H. Garlic-related dermatoses: case report and review of the literature. Am J Contact Dermat. 1999;10(1):37-39. doi:10.1016/s1046-199x(99)90092-1
Rafaat M, Leung AK. Garlic burns. Pediatr Dermatol. 2000;17(6):475-476. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1470.2000.01828.x
Cantisani C, Visconti B, Paolino G, et al. Unusual food allergy: Alioidea allergic reactions overview. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2014;8(3):178-184. doi:10.2174/1872213x08666141107170159
Hajheydari Z, Jamshidi M, Akbari J, Mohammadpour R. Combination of topical garlic gel and betamethasone valerate cream in the treatment of localized alopecia areata: a double-blind randomized controlled study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007;73(1):29-32. doi:10.4103/0378-6323.30648
European Parliament and Council. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, consolidated version of May 1, 2025 (Annexes II to VI, Article 17). EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex 1223/2009

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Garlic oil at a glance

What the research says

Skin and toleranceSkin tolerance

Contact allergy, irritation, burns

A range of skin reactions linked to garlic

An infant with a second-degree burn

Allium allergy: a rising frequency

Hair and scalpHaircare

No cosmetic trial on the oil

A medical trial, outside the cosmetic field

Which products use garlic oil?

1Hair

Frequently asked questions about garlic oil

Further reading

Sources

Tell us about your project