In short
Cinnamon bark oil is distilled from the bark of Ceylon cinnamon. It is rich in cinnamaldehyde and gives a hot, sweet spice note.
What Cinnamon Bark Oil smells like
Cinnamon bark oil, from Ceylon cinnamon, owes its aroma mainly to cinnamaldehyde, with minor components adding the characteristic odour and flavour. Trade sources describe it as sweet and pungent, biting and warm, with a woody body. Its eugenol content is low, which separates it from the clove-like leaf oil. It is a skin sensitiser, and IFRA restricts it.
- Leading note
- Sweet hot cinnamon
- Supporting facets
- Woody, pungent, warm, rounded
- Character
- Hot, sweet, rich, warm
What makes Cinnamon Bark Oil distinctive
The cinnamon of the quill: cinnamaldehyde's heat in a rounder, woodier natural body than cassia gives.
How Cinnamon Bark Oil is used
Used in small amounts in spicy and oriental compositions and in flavours; its sensitising potential limits it in fragrance.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Cinnamon Bark Oil differs from similar materials
- Cinnamon Leaf Oil
- The leaf oil is mostly eugenol and smells of clove; the bark oil is mostly cinnamaldehyde and smells of cinnamon. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Cassia Oil
- One source finds cassia sharper and flatter than Ceylon bark oil, which is rounder and woodier. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Cinnamaldehyde
- Cinnamaldehyde is the main constituent alone, a candy-like cinnamon; the oil adds a woody, rounded body. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Cinnamon Bark CO2 Extract
- The CO2 extract of the same bark is described as very warm and diffusive with a lasting powdery dry-down.
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 strong skin sensitiser and declarable allergen; use sparingly.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Spicy / Gourmand
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Cinnamomum verum J.Presl
- CAS number
- 8015-91-6
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
-
Clove Bud Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm, sweet
-
Vanillin
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy
-
Sweet Orange Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Fruity — citrus, sweet, juicy, orange peel
-
Cinnamon Leaf Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Woody — clove, spicy, warm, woody
-
Cassia Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Resinous — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, warm
Cinnamon Bark Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Cinnamon Bark CO2 Extract, Ginger Absolute, Pimento Berry Oil and Star Anise Oil.
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Cinnamon Bark Oil here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Cinnamon Bark Oil
Is Cinnamon Bark Oil natural or synthetic?
Cinnamon Bark Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
What is the CAS number of Cinnamon Bark Oil?
8015-91-6, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135346120, checked 19 October 2026.
- Erowid (Rhodium archive) — Cinnamomum oils (FAO monograph) — published literature.
- Bulk Natural Oils — the different scents of cinnamon oil — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Cinnamon — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.