4-Carvomenthenol (Terpinen-4-ol) is an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. 4-Carvomenthenol is a fragrance ingredient used in decorative cosmetics, fine fragrances, shampoos, toilet soaps and other toiletries as well as in non-cosmetic products such as household cleaners and detergents. Its use worldwide is in the region of 1–10 metric tonnes per annum. The maximum skin level that results from the use of 4-carvementhenol in formulae that go into fine fragrances has been reported to be 0.13%. 4-Carvomenthenol has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal effects as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It is a putative anitcancer agent. 4-carvementhenol exerts its antitumor effects by triggering caspase-dependent apoptosis in human melanoma cells or by inducing necrotic cell death and cell-cycle arrest in mouse mesothelioma and melanomacell lines without affecting normal cells. Caspase-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction is the mechanism of terpinen-4-ol-induced apoptosis in nonsmall lung cancer cells. Down-regulation of Bcl-2, XIAP and survivin suggests that ter-pinen-4-ol increases the susceptibility of NSCLC cells toapoptosis induction. Notably, the ability of terpinen-4-ol to induce apoptosis in NSCLC cells is p53-dependent. It has also been shown that the growth of s.c. xenograft tumors was remarkably inhibited by intratumoral injection of terpinen-4-ol, indicating that the agent also has potential for clinical anticancer activity.