In short
Nerolidol is a sesquiterpene alcohol found in neroli and many other oils. It has a faint, soft floral-woody note and is used as a fixative.
What Nerolidol smells like
Nerolidol is woody, floral and green, in Bedoukian's listing, which notes its use for woody, tea-like notes; a glossary finds the trans isomer slightly sweeter and more floral and the cis isomer more woody-bark, and describes it as quiet and low-impact — less impactful than linalool, woodier than nerol, subtler than farnesol, its structural isomer.
- Leading note
- Soft woody floral
- Supporting facets
- Green
- Faint facets
- Tea-like, bark
- Character
- Soft, faint, tenacious
What makes Nerolidol distinctive
A quiet, woody floral that blends and fixes rather than leads.
How Nerolidol is used
Used as a soft floral-woody blender and fixative in floral and tea-like compositions.
Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes); blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How Nerolidol differs from similar materials
- Farnesol
- Farnesol, its structural isomer, is more vegetal, linden and lily-of-the-valley; nerolidol reads woodier and more balsamic. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Neroli Oil
- Neroli oil contains nerolidol among many constituents; the oil is a bright, green-floral orange blossom, nerolidol a faint woody floral.
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
Low odour intensity; its value is in tenacity and smoothing.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Floral / Woody
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- CAS number
- 7212-44-4
- Molecular formula
- C15H26O
- Molecular weight
- 222.37 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (6E)-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-1,6,10-trien-3-ol
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5284507, 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 (2,148 reports): H410 very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (99.9% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (87.4% of reports); H400 very toxic to aquatic life (34.2% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (11.1% of reports). 1 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
-
Neroli Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Citrus — floral, citrus, orange blossom, honeyed
-
Farnesol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — floral, linden, green, mild
-
Linalool
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — floral, fresh, woody, citrus
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 13 published formulas
Nerolidol is an ingredient in 5 perfume formulas, 7 accords and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Nerolidol
Is Nerolidol natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Nerolidol 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 Nerolidol?
7212-44-4. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Nerolidol?
Nerolidol is used in 13 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Cherry Blossom Accord, Gardenia Milk and Linden Afternoon. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 5284507, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Premiere Peau — Nerolidol — published perfumery reference.
- The Good Scents Company — nerolidol (with Bedoukian's description) — odour database.
- 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.