In short
Cinnamon leaf oil is distilled from the leaves of Ceylon cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum. Unlike the bark oil, which is rich in cinnamaldehyde, the leaf oil is mostly eugenol and smells more of clove than cinnamon.
What Cinnamon Leaf Oil smells like
Cinnamon leaf oil is eugenol-dominant, with only a few percent of cinnamaldehyde, and smells closer to clove than to cinnamon. The FAO monograph describes its odour as warm and spicy but harsh, lacking the body of the bark oil; a perfumery glossary calls it clove-dominant with a faint cinnamon undertone.
- Leading note
- Clove
- Supporting facets
- Faint cinnamon, dry, woody
- Faint facets
- Harsh
- Character
- Warm, dry, harsh
What makes Cinnamon Leaf Oil distinctive
A cinnamon that smells of clove: the leaf's eugenol, with only a trace of the bark's sweetness.
Where the descriptions disagree: Sources give different eugenol and cinnamaldehyde levels.
How Cinnamon Leaf Oil is used
Used as an economical spicy, clove-like note in functional and spicy compositions, and as a natural source of eugenol.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Cinnamon Leaf Oil differs from similar materials
- Cinnamon Bark Oil
- The bark oil is mostly cinnamaldehyde and smells of cinnamon; the leaf oil is mostly eugenol and smells of clove. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Clove Leaf Oil
- Both are eugenol-led; cinnamon leaf adds a faint cinnamon undertone.
- Eugenol
- Eugenol is the main constituent alone; the leaf oil adds a faint cinnamon and a harsher, drier edge. (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 eugenol; check the IFRA and allergen contributions. Do not substitute it for cinnamon bark oil without reformulating — they are different materials.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Spicy / Woody
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Cinnamomum verum
No CAS number is shown: suppliers use different identifiers for this material, and none could be confirmed as its own.
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
-
Cinnamon Bark Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot
-
Clove Leaf Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Woody — clove, spicy, dry, woody
-
Eugenol
Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm
-
Cinnamaldehyde
Aroma chemical · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Cinnamon Leaf Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Cinnamon Leaf Oil
Is Cinnamon Leaf Oil natural or synthetic?
Cinnamon Leaf Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
Which published formulas use Cinnamon Leaf Oil?
Cinnamon Leaf Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Resin Atlas. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Erowid (Rhodium archive) — Cinnamomum oils (FAO monograph) — published literature.
- Premiere Peau — Cinnamon leaf — published perfumery reference.
- 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.