Found in Lavandula angustifolia, Coriandrum sativum, Cinnamomum camphora (Ho wood chemotype), Aniba rosaeodora; also produced synthetically
Appearance
Colorless clear liquid
Producing Countries
China, Brazil, India, France, Madagascar
Pyramid
Heart
Fresh linen dried in a lavender field — clean, transparent, faintly soapy. Linalool is the single molecule responsible for more of what we recognise as 'lavender' and 'rosewood' than any other terpenoid. It occurs in over 200 plant species and exists as two mirror-image forms, each with its own scent.
Floral-citrus with a transparent, soapy cleanliness. Lighter and more volatile than geraniol, less piercing than citronellal, without the honeyed weight of farnesol. The (R)-form leans toward cool lavender and pencil cedar; the (S)-form toward warm coriander seed and petitgrain. Racemic linalool splits the difference — a clean, airy note that smells like daylight through white curtains. On skin it thins rapidly, leaving a faint woody trace that disappears within a few hours.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Bright floral-citrus burst — clean, slightly soapy, with a coriander-seed sparkle. Strong diffusion.
After a few hours
After a few hours
The citrus flash fades. A soft woody-lavender transparency remains, like clean linen. Projection drops markedly.
After a few days
After a few days
Virtually nothing. Linalool's molecular weight (154 g/mol) and high volatility leave minimal residue — perhaps a faint, dry woody trace on fabric.
The Full Story
Linalool (CAS 78-70-6, C₁₀H₁₈O, MW 154.25) is a tertiary monoterpene alcohol with a chiral centre at C-3 that produces two enantiomers. (R)-(−)-linalool (licareol, CAS 126-91-0) is woody, cool, and distinctly lavender — dominant in true lavender oil (25–45%), Ho wood oil (80–90%), and the now CITES-listed Brazilian rosewood (82–90%). (S)-(+)-linalool (coriandrol, CAS 126-90-9) is warmer, sweeter, more herbaceous — the principal constituent of coriander seed oil (60–78%). The racemic mixture, which is what most perfumers handle, reads as floral-citrus-clean, with a soapy transparency that recalls freshly washed cotton.
On a blotter, linalool opens bright and diffusive — somewhere between bergamot peel and lily of the valley. Within thirty minutes the citrus flash recedes, leaving a soft woody-floral heart. After several hours almost nothing remains: linalool is volatile (bp 194–199 °C), with limited substantivity. This ephemerality is its function. It provides lift and transparency without weight.
Global production is estimated at over 14,000 tonnes annually, with synthetic routes accounting for roughly 62% of supply. The dominant industrial pathway runs from β-pinene (pyrolysed at 400 °C to myrcene, then hydrochlorinated or hydrated to linalool) or via dehydrolinalool hydrogenation. Natural linalool is isolated primarily from Ho wood oil (Cinnamomum camphora, linalool chemotype), which has largely replaced rosewood as the sustainable botanical source since Aniba rosaeodora was listed under CITES Appendix II.
Linalool is classified as an EU cosmetic allergen (Regulation 1223/2009): mandatory label declaration above 0.001% in leave-on products, 0.01% in rinse-off. IFRA restricts it only indirectly — peroxide content must remain below 20 mmol/L, typically managed by adding 0.1% BHT or α-tocopherol at manufacture.
What does linalool smell like
Clean, fresh, and softly floral — the molecule that makes lavender smell like lavender. Linalool (CAS 78-70-6) is a monoterpene alcohol found in over 200 plant species, from lavender and bergamot to coriander and basil. At full strength, it is almost transparent: a sweet, slightly woody freshness with a faint citrus lift. Not perfume-y, not soapy — just clean. It is the olfactory equivalent of a white cotton sheet.
The human nose can distinguish between the two mirror-image forms of linalool — (R)-linalool smells like lavender, (S)-linalool like coriander — even though the molecules are identical in every respect except the spatial arrangement of atoms around a single carbon. A 2000 study by Sugawara et al. (Chemical Senses, 25:77–84) confirmed that these enantiomers elicit measurably different neural responses in forehead surface potential wave measurements, not just different subjective descriptions.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Natural: fractional distillation from Ho wood oil (Cinnamomum camphora linalool chemotype, 80–90% linalool content), lavandin oil, coriander seed oil, or clary sage oil. Brazilian rosewood oil (Aniba rosaeodora, 82–90% linalool) was the historical benchmark source but is now restricted under CITES Appendix II.
Synthetic (dominant route, ~62% of global supply): β-pinene is pyrolysed at 400 °C to yield myrcene, which is then converted to linalool via acid-catalysed hydration or hydrochlorination followed by alkaline elimination. An alternative route proceeds through selective hydrogenation of dehydrolinalool. Global production exceeds 14,000 tonnes per year.
Boiling point: 194–199 °C at 760 mmHg. Specific gravity: 0.858–0.868 at 25 °C. Refractive index: 1.460–1.464 at 20 °C. Flash point: 78 °C (closed cup).
Molecular Formula
C10H18O
CAS Number
78-70-6
Botanical Name
Found in Lavandula angustifolia, Coriandrum sativum, Cinnamomum camphora (Ho wood chemotype), Aniba rosaeodora; also produced synthetically
IFRA Status
No quantitative use limit. Peroxide value must remain < 20 mmol/L (IFRA method). EU allergen: label required above 0.001% (leave-on) / 0.01% (rinse-off).
Linalool is arguably perfumery's most adaptable building block — used at concentrations from trace amounts in fine fragrance to 5–15% in functional products (soaps, detergents, household sprays). In fine perfumery, it performs several roles simultaneously: it lifts floral accords (lily of the valley, neroli, jasmine), bridges citrus and woody registers, and adds an airy, soapy transparency that opens a composition without leaving a signature. In fougère structures it reinforces the lavender quality alongside coumarin and oakmoss. In fresh-floral feminines it supplies the clean backbone. It blends with geraniol, hedione, and Iso E Super with particular fluency. Linalyl acetate — its ester — is even more specifically lavender-like and dominates fine lavender oil (30–55%). Dihydro- and tetrahydrolinalool are hydrogenated derivatives favoured in household products for their greater oxidative stability.
