Bay Laurel Leaf Oil

What Bay Laurel Leaf Oil smells like

Bay laurel leaf oil is fresh, camphoraceous and spicy. Perflavory lists herbal, eucalyptus, spicy, camphoraceous and medicinal; Eden Botanicals a fresh, strong, sweet-spicy, camphoraceous and clove-like aroma; Scentspiracy a fresh, cineole-like top that evolves into a warm, creamy-spicy, slightly medicinal profile reminiscent of cardamom. A glossary gives 1,8-cineole as dominant, with linalool, eugenol and methyl eugenol; the last is restricted by IFRA. It is not West Indian bay.

Leading note

Fresh spicy camphor

Clear facets

Eucalyptus, cineole

Supporting facets

Clove

Faint facets

Cardamom-like, medicinal

Character

Fresh, warm, aromatic

• fresh
• spicy
• camphoraceous
• herbal

What makes Bay Laurel Leaf Oil distinctive

A cineole freshness warmed by clove — between eucalyptus and spice.

How Bay Laurel Leaf Oil is used

Used as a modifier in colognes, fougères, citrus, resinous and aromatic-spicy compositions.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Bay Laurel Leaf Oil differs from similar materials

Bay Oil (West Indian)

West Indian bay, from another tree, is clove-dominant and terpenic; bay laurel is cineole-led, with clove only as a facet.

Cardamom Oil

Cardamom shares the cineole top and turns balsamic and floral; bay laurel turns creamy-spicy and clove-like.

Myrtle Oil

Myrtle is lighter and lemony-fresh, with a sweet fruity side; bay laurel is spicier, with clove.

Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Contains methyl eugenol; check the IFRA position.

Identity and classification

Type

Essential oil

Origin

Natural

Odour family

Aromatic / Spicy

Note position

Top to heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

Laurel leaf oil, Sweet bay oil

Botanical source

Laurus nobilis

CAS number

8007-48-5

The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.

Safety and compliance

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

• Eucalyptol

  Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — camphoraceous, cool, medicinal

• Linalool

  Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — floral, fresh, woody, citrus

• Rosemary Oil

  Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — herbal, camphoraceous, fresh, woody

• Bay Oil (West Indian)

  Essential oil · Spicy / Aromatic — spicy, clove, fresh, herbal

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

Bay Laurel Leaf Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Thyme Cliff

  RUŌOD House Original

Further reading

• Aromatic Notes in Perfumery: Lavender, Sage, Rosemary and Mint

  The aromatic family for formulators: lavender, lavandin and spike, clary sage, rosemary, mint and basil — chemistry, chemotypes and EU allergen status.

Questions about Bay Laurel Leaf Oil

Sources

• PubChem — substance 135304193, checked 19 October 2026.
• Perflavory (The Good Scents Company) — Laurus nobilis leaf oil — odour database.
• Eden Botanicals — Laurel leaf — distributor's description.
• Scentspiracy — Laurel leaf oil — distributor's description.
• Premiere Peau — Bay essence — published perfumery reference.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.