RUŌOD Lab

Borneol

Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Woody

camphoraceous, earthy, piney, woody — top to heart note.

Aroma illustration for Borneol: round eucalyptus leaves, a mound of dark earth and a pine branch and cone, for its camphoraceous, earthy and piney notes. It illustrates smell associations, not the material or its source.Skeletal formula of Borneol (endo-Borneol), C10H18O, drawn from PubChem's 2D record. Stereochemistry is not shown.
Aroma View: an illustration of what Borneol smells like (camphoraceous, earthy, piney), drawn by RUŌOD Lab — not its appearance or its source.Skeletal formula drawn by RUŌOD Lab from PubChem's 2D record (CID 64685). Stereochemistry is not shown; the coloured background is decoration.
Images

By the RUŌOD Lab TeamRevision 1Updated

In short

Borneol is a bicyclic monoterpene alcohol with a camphoraceous, earthy and piney odour. It occurs in many conifer and herb oils and is the alcohol behind bornyl acetate.

What Borneol smells like

Borneol has a balsamic odour type with pine, woody and camphoraceous facets, in Wikipedia's description; a supplier gives camphoraceous, pine-like and dry woody. A review notes that (+)-borneol is camphoraceous with a slightly sharp, earthy, peppery note, less evident in (-)-borneol. A glossary finds it drier and more angular than camphor and less sweet than menthol, with a faint earthiness underneath.

Leading note
Dry camphor-pine
Supporting facets
Woody, earthy, peppery
Faint facets
Balsamic
Character
Dry, angular, cool
  • camphoraceous
  • earthy
  • piney
  • woody

What makes Borneol distinctive

Camphor made drier and more angular, with an earthy, peppery edge.

How Borneol is used

Used in pine, conifer, herbal and lavender compositions, and in traditional medicinal products.

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

How Borneol differs from similar materials

Camphor
A glossary finds borneol drier and more angular than camphor, with a faint earthiness.
Fenchol
Fenchol carries a lime-citrus note; borneol is drier, with a peppery earthiness.
Bornyl Acetate
Bornyl acetate, its ester, is the sweeter, softer pine-needle note; borneol is drier and more angular.

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

A solid at room temperature; dissolve it before adding it to a formula.

Identity and classification

Type
Aroma chemical
Origin
Occurs in nature
Odour family
Aromatic / Woody
Note position
Top to heart note
Physical form at room temperature
Solid
Also known as
endo-Borneol, Borneo camphor
CAS number
507-70-0
Molecular formula
C10H18O
Molecular weight
154.25 g/mol
IUPAC name
1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 64685, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,875 reports): H228 flammable solid (99% of reports). Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.

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

  • Bornyl Acetate

    Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Woody — pine, balsamic, camphoraceous, sweet

  • Camphor

    Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Woody — camphoraceous, medicinal, cooling

  • Scots Pine Needle Oil

    Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — pine, resinous, fresh, balsamic

  • Rosemary Oil

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

Borneol is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Fenchol.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

Borneol is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Further reading

Questions about Borneol

Is Borneol natural or synthetic?

The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Borneol may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.

What is the CAS number of Borneol?

507-70-0. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Borneol?

Borneol is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Cypress Bathhouse. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Sources

  • PubChem — compound 64685, checked 19 October 2026.
  • PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
  • Wikipedia — Borneol — published perfumery reference.
  • ChemicalBook — borneol (CAS 507-70-0) — odour database.
  • Premiere Peau — Borneol — 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.

Your own records, next to the reference

Keep your own record of Borneol — supplier, cost, stock, dilutions and where it is used — in RUŌOD Lab's material library.

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