α-[2-(4-Chlorophenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole-1-ethanol is used as a reactant in the preparation of imidazol phenylbutane derivatives as heme oxygenase inhibitors. α-[2-(4-Chlorophenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole-1-ethanol is also an impurity of Butoconazole (B690273), which is an antifungal.