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Nerol

Q: Is Nerol natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Isolated from essential oils (neroli, rose, lemongrass) by fractional distillation, or produced synthetically from myrcene or geraniol via isomerization. The name 'nerol' derives from neroli oil, where it was first characterized. Both natural and synthetic routes are commercially relevant..

FLOWERS / floral · citrus · rosy

Nerol

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · citrus · rosy
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — occurs naturally in Citrus aurantium (neroli oil), Rosa spp., Cymbopogon spp.
Appearance	colorless clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	France, Morocco, Tunisia
Pyramid	Heart

Soft, rosy-citrus with a fresh, slightly watery quality. Nerol smells like rose petals floating in lemon water — delicate, clean, gently floral.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Soft rosy-floral with fresh, citrus-lemony brightness. More delicate than geraniol — less sweet, more watery, slightly greener. The rose quality is sheer and transparent rather than full-bodied. A clean, almost aqueous freshness distinguishes it from heavier terpenols. On blotter, moderate tenacity with clean, pleasant fade.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Soft rosy-citrus opening. Fresh, watery, delicate.

After a few hours

Clean floral heart. Transparent rose character. Lemony brightness persists.

After a few days

Gentle, clean fade. Moderate tenacity. Fresh rose residue.

The Full Story

CAS 106-25-2. The cis-isomer of geraniol. A monoterpene alcohol found in rose, neroli, lemongrass, and many other essential oils. Nerol and geraniol are geometric isomers — same molecular formula, different spatial arrangement — resulting in subtly different scents.

Nerol is softer, fresher, and more watery than geraniol. Where geraniol reads as 'rose-sweet,' nerol reads as 'rose-fresh.' The molecule has a delicate, almost aqueous quality with a lemony brightness that geraniol lacks. This freshness comes from the cis-configuration, which affects how the molecule interacts with olfactory receptors.

In perfumery, nerol provides a lighter, more transparent version of the rose-citrus character. It is used where geraniol would be too heavy or too sweet — in clean-floral, citrus-floral, and fresh compositions.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Nerol and geraniol demonstrate how molecular geometry directly affects smell. Both molecules are C₁₀H₁₈O with identical functional groups, but the cis/trans arrangement around one double bond creates two detectably different scents — proof that olfactory receptors sense molecular shape, not just chemical composition.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Isolated from essential oils (neroli, rose, lemongrass) by fractional distillation, or produced synthetically from myrcene or geraniol via isomerization. The name 'nerol' derives from neroli oil, where it was first characterized. Both natural and synthetic routes are commercially relevant.

Molecular Formula	C10 H18 O
CAS Number	106-25-2
Botanical Name	N/A — occurs naturally in Citrus aurantium (neroli oil), Rosa spp., Cymbopogon spp.
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	neroli alcohol, 3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-ol
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	44 Hour(s)
Appearance	colorless clear liquid
Boiling Point	103.00 to 105.00 °C. @ 9.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	226.00 °F. TCC ( 107.78 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.87500 to 0.88000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.47500 to 1.47600 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point	-15.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Heart modifier in rose, citrus-floral, and fresh compositions. Nerol provides a lighter, more transparent version of geraniol's rose character. It works in fresh-rose accords, citrus-floral blends, and compositions where floral softness without heaviness is desired. The cis-isomer's freshness makes it particularly useful in eau de cologne and eau fraiche formulations. Pairs with linalool, citral, and other terpene alcohols.