In short
Eucalyptus oil is distilled from the leaves of Eucalyptus globulus and is rich in 1,8-cineole. It gives a fresh, cooling, camphoraceous note.
What Eucalyptus Oil smells like
Eucalyptus globulus oil has a penetrating, camphoraceous-fresh aroma with a cooling, medicinal top note, a herbal-green heart and a subtle woody-balsamic drydown, in a supplier's description; others call it clean, camphoraceous and earthy, or camphorous with a sweet woody undertone. Its odour is dominated by 1,8-cineole. A perfumery reference notes its use in low-cost and industrial perfumes and for masking, and its stability in soap.
- Leading note
- Fresh camphoraceous
- Clear facets
- Cooling, medicinal
- Supporting facets
- Herbal-green
- Faint facets
- Woody-balsamic
- Character
- Fresh, cool, penetrating, clean
What makes Eucalyptus Oil distinctive
The classic clearing freshness: eucalyptol with a green heart and a soft woody finish.
How Eucalyptus Oil is used
Used in functional and industrial perfumes, for masking, in fresh and herbal accords, and in pharmaceutical and oral-care flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Eucalyptus Oil differs from similar materials
- Eucalyptol
- Eucalyptol is the oil's main constituent alone; the oil adds a herbal-green heart and a woody-balsamic drydown. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
- Lemon eucalyptus is a different species, citronellal-rich and lemony rather than camphoraceous.
- Niaouli Oil
- Niaouli is also cineole-led but softer and sweeter, with minty, woody and resinous notes.
- White Camphor Oil
- White camphor oil carries more camphor beside its cineole; eucalyptus is cineole-dominated with a herbal-green heart.
- Myrtle Oil
- Myrtle is lighter and lemony, with a sweet, fruity side; eucalyptus is the sharper cineole freshness.
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
Strongly medicinal; small amounts dominate.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Green
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Eucalyptus globulus Labill.
- CAS number
- 8000-48-4
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
-
Eucalyptol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — camphoraceous, cool, medicinal
-
Peppermint Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh, herbal
-
Rosemary Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — herbal, camphoraceous, fresh, woody
-
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Aromatic — lemony, fresh, citronella, green
Eucalyptus Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Cajeput Oil, Spirodecane and White Camphor Oil.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Eucalyptus 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 Eucalyptus Oil
Is Eucalyptus Oil natural or synthetic?
Eucalyptus 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 Eucalyptus Oil?
8000-48-4, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Eucalyptus Oil?
Eucalyptus Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Pine Tar Sauna. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 164810326, checked 19 October 2026.
- Tilley Distribution — eucalyptus oil globulus — distributor's description.
- The Good Scents Company — eucalyptus globulus oil — odour database.
- Fraterworks — eucalyptus oil — distributor's description.
- 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.