In short
Parsley seed oil is distilled from the seeds of Petroselinum crispum. It has a warm, herbal and woody-spicy odour.
What Parsley Seed Oil smells like
Parsley seed oil has a warm, spicy smell and a bitter, aromatic taste, in a pharmacopoeial description; a supplier gives warm, woody-spicy and herbaceous. A glossary describes a brief green, herbaceous opening, then a nutmeg-like woodiness it attributes to myristicin and a phenolic, medicinal undertone it attributes to apiol, the herbaceous note fading within minutes. The leaf oil is much harsher and more herbaceous. Its constituents can cause dermatitis.
- Leading note
- Warm woody spice
- Supporting facets
- Nutmeg-like, green herbaceous
- Faint facets
- Phenolic, medicinal
- Character
- Warm, dry, spicy
What makes Parsley Seed Oil distinctive
A herb that dries down like nutmeg: parsley's green flash, then a warm, woody spice.
How Parsley Seed Oil is used
Used in traces in spicy, herbal and masculine compositions, and in savoury flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Parsley Seed Oil differs from similar materials
- Nutmeg Oil
- Nutmeg is fresher and more terpenic; parsley seed shares a myristicin-woody warmth but opens green and has a medicinal undertone.
- Celery Seed Oil
- Celery seed is phthalide-led, green and angular; parsley seed is warmer and woodier.
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
Contains apiole and myristicin; use at low levels.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Spicy
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Petroselinum crispum
- CAS number
- 8000-68-8
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
-
Celery Seed Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — celery, spicy, warm, herbal
-
Carrot Seed Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Powdery — earthy, woody, orris, dry
-
Coriander Seed Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Floral — spicy, floral, fresh, woody
-
Basil Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — herbal, green, aniseed, fresh
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Parsley Seed Oil here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Parsley Seed Oil
Is Parsley Seed Oil natural or synthetic?
Parsley Seed 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 Parsley Seed Oil?
8000-68-8, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135334239, checked 19 October 2026.
- Henriette's Herbal — Petroselinum (US Dispensatory) — published literature.
- ChemicalBook — parsley seed oil (CAS 8000-68-8) — odour database.
- Premiere Peau — Parsley — published perfumery reference.
- 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.