In short
Citronellyl formate is the formate ester of citronellol, found in geranium oil. It has a fresh, green-rosy and fruity odour.
What Citronellyl Formate smells like
Citronellyl formate is a fresh, green, rose-like ester with a leafy geranium character. Suppliers describe fresh, green and floral, reminiscent of rose, geranium and bergamot; a fragrance house a powerful, pungent rose petal with pronounced leafy-green geranium facets and a honey-like undertone. Some sources stress fruit (apricot, peach, plum), while IFF describes a fresh citrus, grapefruit-rind note. It is a characteristic constituent of geranium oil, especially Bourbon. On its own it can seem dull.
- Leading note
- Green rose-geranium
- Clear facets
- Leafy
- Faint facets
- Honey, fruity, citrus
- Character
- Fresh, pungent, green, leafy
What makes Citronellyl Formate distinctive
Geranium leaf. It is the leafy-green, slightly pungent rose that helps a geranium accord smell like geranium rather than rose.
Where the descriptions disagree: Its leading character is disputed: rose-geranium-green in most sources, fruity or citrus-rind in others (IFF).
How Citronellyl Formate is used
Used mainly in rose and geranium accords; normally blended rather than used alone.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Citronellyl Formate differs from similar materials
- Geranyl Formate
- Geranyl formate is drier and more ethereal, with tea rose; citronellyl formate is more pungent and leafy-geranium, with honey.
- Geranium Oil
- A glossary notes Bourbon geranium is richer in citronellyl formate than other types; the oil adds rosy, minty and metallic notes around it. (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.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Floral / Green
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- 3,7-Dimethyloct-6-enyl formate
- CAS number
- 105-85-1
- Molecular formula
- C11H20O2
- Molecular weight
- 184.27 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 3,7-dimethyloct-6-enyl formate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 7778, 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 (1,783 reports): H315 causes skin irritation (82.1% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (81.3% of reports). 295 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. 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
-
Citronellol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — rosy, fresh, citrus, waxy
-
Geranium Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Green — rosy, green, minty, fresh
-
Geraniol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — rosy, sweet, citrus, fresh
-
Rose Oxide
Aroma chemical · Floral / Metallic — metallic, green, geranium, rosy
Citronellyl Formate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Geranyl Formate.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 3 published formulas
Citronellyl Formate is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 2 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Citronellyl Formate
Is Citronellyl Formate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Citronellyl Formate 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 Citronellyl Formate?
105-85-1. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Citronellyl Formate?
Citronellyl Formate is used in 3 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Cut Stem Atelier, Lychee Accord and Wisteria Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 7778, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- IFF — Citronellyl formate — manufacturer's description.
- Perflavory (The Good Scents Company) — citronellyl formate — odour database.
- Fraterworks — citronellyl formate — 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.