In short
Patchoulol, or patchouli alcohol, is the main sesquiterpene alcohol of patchouli oil. Isolated, it gives a clean, dry woody note without the oil's darker, earthy and medicinal facets.
What Patchoulol smells like
Patchoulol is the main constituent of patchouli oil. One source finds it contributes less to the oil's characteristic odour than the trace norpatchoulenol, and a patent describes a patchoulol-rich product as distinguishable from the natural oil by its less pronounced earthy, camphoraceous, spicy and leathery character. Other sources credit it with the signature patchouli odour.
- Leading note
- Dry patchouli wood
- Supporting facets
- Earthy
- Faint facets
- Camphoraceous
- Character
- Dry, clean, tenacious
What makes Patchoulol distinctive
A cleaner, drier patchouli — the oil's backbone with less of its earth and camphor.
Where the descriptions disagree: Some sources credit patchoulol with patchouli's signature odour; another credits norpatchoulenol.
How Patchoulol is used
Used for a cleaner patchouli effect in woody, chypre and modern compositions.
Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes); backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord).
How Patchoulol differs from similar materials
- Patchouli Oil
- The natural oil is more earthy, camphoraceous, spicy and leathery; a patchoulol-rich product is cleaner. (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.
Formulation considerations
Solid at room temperature; dissolve before use. Patchouli fractions and isolates vary in quality, so record which you use.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Natural isolate
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Woody / Amber
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- Also known as
- Patchouli alcohol
- CAS number
- 5986-55-0
- Molecular formula
- C15H26O
- Molecular weight
- 222.37 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (1R,3R,6S,7S,8S)-2,2,6,8-tetramethyltricyclo[5.3.1.03,8]undecan-3-ol
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 10955174, 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 (256 reports): H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (11.3% of reports). 227 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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
-
Patchouli Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Chypre — earthy, woody, camphoraceous, dark
-
Vetiver Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Green — earthy, smoky, woody, rooty
-
Iso E Super
Aroma chemical · Woody / Amber — woody, velvety, amber, cedar
-
Cedrol
Natural isolate · Woody / Musky — woody, cedar, faint, dry
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 4 published formulas
Patchoulol is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas and 2 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Patchoulol
Is Patchoulol natural or synthetic?
Patchoulol is natural. It is a single molecule separated from a natural raw material.
What is the CAS number of Patchoulol?
5986-55-0. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Patchoulol?
Patchoulol is used in 4 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Blue Accord, Cocoa Moss and Patchouli Cold Brew. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 10955174, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- US8182781 — alpha-silyl alcohols reminiscent of patchouli oil (patent) — published literature.
- Justia — Perfume compositions (patchoulol-rich product patent) — published literature.
- 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.