In short
Holy basil (tulsi) oil is distilled from Ocimum tenuiflorum. Eugenol usually gives it a clove-like spice between basil, clove and thyme.
What Holy Basil Oil smells like
Eden Botanicals describes tulsi oil as sweet, pungent and clove-like, somewhat bitter green and herbaceous, with a balsamic-woody undertone. A perfumery glossary places it between basil, clove and thyme, as a heart note in amber, aromatic and incense compositions, and notes that camphor-type oils are sharper and more medicinal than the eugenol type. A GC-MS study of Indian leaf oil found methyl eugenol dominant instead.
- Leading note
- Clove
- Clear facets
- Herbaceous
- Supporting facets
- Spicy
- Faint facets
- Balsamic
- Character
- Warm, pungent
What makes Holy Basil Oil distinctive
A basil that smells of clove rather than of anise or green leaf.
Where the descriptions disagree: Chemotypes differ: most sources give eugenol as the main constituent, one study methyl eugenol.
How Holy Basil Oil is used
Used in aromatic, amber and incense compositions as a heart note.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Holy Basil Oil differs from similar materials
- Basil Oil
- Sweet basil oil is green and aniseed-herbal; holy basil oil is clove-like and spicy, between basil, clove and thyme.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Composition varies by chemotype: usually eugenol-rich, but one study of Indian oil found 83% methyl eugenol, which is restricted. Check the supplier's analysis and the IFRA Standards.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Spicy
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Tulsi oil
- Botanical source
- Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (Ocimum sanctum)
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
-
Basil Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — herbal, green, aniseed, fresh
-
Clove Bud Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm, sweet
-
Eugenol
Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Holy Basil Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
Further reading
Questions about Holy Basil Oil
Is Holy Basil Oil natural or synthetic?
Holy Basil 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 Holy Basil Oil?
Holy Basil Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: 1882 Naturals. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Eden Botanicals — Tulsi (Holy Basil) — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Tulsi — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.