Cassia Oil

What Cassia Oil smells like

Cassia oil is distilled from the leaves, twigs and bark of Chinese cinnamon and contains mostly cinnamaldehyde, with some 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde, in ChemicalBook's data. One source finds it sharper and flatter than Ceylon bark oil; a vendor blog calls it earthy and sweet. It is a skin sensitiser, and IFRA restricts it.

Leading note

Sweet hot cinnamon

Supporting facets

Balsamic

Faint facets

Earthy, woody

Character

Hot, sharp, sweet

• cinnamon
• spicy
• sweet
• warm

What makes Cassia Oil distinctive

The coarser cinnamon: hot and sweet, but flatter and sharper than Ceylon bark oil.

Where the descriptions disagree: Sources differ on its tone: sharper and flatter than Ceylon bark oil, or earthy and sweet.

How Cassia Oil is used

Used in spicy compositions in small amounts and widely in cinnamon flavours; its sensitising potential limits it in fragrance.

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

How Cassia Oil differs from similar materials

Cinnamon Bark Oil*

One source finds cassia sharper and flatter; Ceylon bark oil is rounder and woodier. (compared directly by a cited source)

Cinnamaldehyde*

Cinnamaldehyde is the main constituent alone; cassia oil adds methoxycinnamaldehyde and an earthy, balsamic body. (compared directly by a cited source)

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

Rich in cinnamaldehyde, a sensitiser with an IFRA Standard, and contains coumarin. Check both contributions.

Identity and classification

Type

Essential oil

Origin

Natural

Odour family

Spicy / Resinous

Note position

Heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

Chinese cinnamon oil

Botanical source

Cinnamomum cassia

CAS number

8007-80-5

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

• Cinnamaldehyde

  Aroma chemical · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot

• Cinnamon Bark Oil

  Essential oil · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot

• Coumarin

  Aroma chemical · Powdery / Fougère — hay, sweet, almond, tobacco

• Vanillin

  Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

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

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Dark Rum Cabinet

  RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Cassia Oil 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG

Further reading

• Spicy Notes in Perfumery: Warm and Fresh Spices

  Warm and fresh spice materials, their key constituents, why cinnamon and clove are closely restricted, and how to build warmth within the limits.

Questions about Cassia Oil

Sources

• PubChem — substance 439391628, checked 19 October 2026.
• ChemicalBook — cassia oil (CAS 8007-80-5) — odour database.
• Erowid (Rhodium archive) — Cinnamomum oils (FAO monograph) — published literature.
• Bulk Natural Oils — the different scents of cinnamon oil — distributor's description.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.