Linalool
Occurrence
Linalool and its esters occur in a large number of essential oils, from traces to major amounts.[2] Together with linalyl acetate it is a main component of lavender oil.[1] Natural linalool has been separated from oils such as rosewood oil, Mexican linaloe oil and coriander seed oil, and it is found in 63 different spices.[2]
Production
Natural linalool is obtained from linalool-rich essential oils by fractional distillation, that is, by separating their components by boiling point. In the 1950s nearly all linalool used in perfumery was isolated in this way, mainly from rosewood oil.[2]
Linalool is also an important intermediate in the manufacture of vitamin E, and several large-scale processes were developed to make it, for example from alpha-pinene of turpentine oil. By the late 1980s most perfumery-grade linalool was synthetic, and the natural product had become a speciality.[2]
Scent and uses
Pure linalool smells fresh, clean, mild and lightly floral, with a slight citrus impression. A good grade has a soft sweetness, and because it boils at a lower temperature than the related alcohols geraniol and citronellol, it serves as a natural top note in perfumes.[2]
Linalool is used in large quantities in soaps and detergents, where it stays stable and does not discolour, and it is a common flavouring in drinks and foods.[2] One of its largest uses today is in laundry care.[3] Market surveys found linalool and limonene to be the fragrance substances most commonly used in cosmetics; in a UK review of 300 consumer products, both were present in 63% of them.[1]
Linalool is also a starting material for other fragrance substances, such as geraniol and citral, and for vitamin A.[2]
Oxidation and skin allergy
Linalool that has not oxidised rarely causes allergic reactions. On contact with air, however, it oxidises, and its oxidation products, mainly hydroperoxides, are strong skin sensitisers.[1]
In patch tests on people with dermatitis (inflamed skin), oxidised linalool frequently causes allergic reactions, and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) counts it among the most common contact allergens and among allergens of high concern. The same happens in essential oils: the linalool in lavender oil oxidises in air, and in experiments air exposure made the oil a stronger sensitiser.[1]
Oxidation can be limited to some extent by keeping the substance and the finished products away from air during handling and storage.[1] In the European Union, linalool must appear in a cosmetic's ingredient list above a set level. The level is 0.001% for products left on the skin and 0.01% for products that are rinsed off.[4]
Products containing it
- Eye Contour Cream, Secret Of Serenity (I 406)
- Seduction Oil Mixture (E 135)
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, SCCS/1459/11, adopted 26–27 June 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 National Toxicology Program (NTP), Linalool: Summary of Data for Chemical Selection. Prepared by Technical Resources International, 1997.
- ↑ BASF, BASF invests and commissions world-scale facilities for menthol and linalool in Ludwigshafen and citral plant in Zhanjiang. News release, 28 April 2026.
- ↑ European Commission, CosIng, Annex III: list of substances which cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down. Retrieved 9 November 2026.