Star Anise Oil

What Star Anise Oil smells like

Star anise oil is mostly trans-anethole, which gives it its sweet, liquorice-like scent; GC-MS work also finds limonene, methyl chavicol and anisaldehyde among its aroma components. Perfumery sources describe it as the purer, sweeter anise beside fennel, and a forum perfumer as more nearly pure anethole than anise seed, which has woody nuances.

Leading note

Sweet anise-liquorice

Supporting facets

Spicy

Faint facets

Woody

Character

Sweet, warm, clean

• anise
• licorice
• sweet
• spicy

What makes Star Anise Oil distinctive

Almost pure anethole: the sweetest, most direct anise, without fennel's green camphor edge.

How Star Anise Oil is used

Used in anisic, fougère, gourmand and liquorice notes, and widely in flavours and liqueurs.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Star Anise Oil differs from similar materials

Sweet Fennel Oil*

A glossary finds fennel greener and more herbal, with a cool, camphor-like edge from fenchone; star anise is the purer, sweeter anise. (compared directly by a cited source)

Anethole*

Anethole is the oil's main constituent alone; the oil adds limonene, methyl chavicol and anisaldehyde. (compared directly by a cited source)

Anise Oil

Anise oil, from Pimpinella anisum seeds, is also mostly trans-anethole: the same sweet liquorice note from a different plant.

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

Anethole can crystallise when the oil is cold; warm gently before use.

Identity and classification

Type

Essential oil

Origin

Natural

Odour family

Aromatic / Spicy

Note position

Top to heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Botanical source

Illicium verum

CAS number

8007-70-3

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

• Anethole

  Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Spicy — anise, licorice, sweet, herbal

• Sweet Fennel Oil

  Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — anise, sweet, herbal, green

• Coumarin

  Aroma chemical · Powdery / Fougère — hay, sweet, almond, tobacco

• Cinnamon Bark Oil

  Essential oil · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot

Star Anise Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Anise Oil.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

Star Anise Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Anise Ink

  RUŌOD House Creation

Further reading

• Aromatic Notes in Perfumery: Lavender, Sage, Rosemary and Mint

  The aromatic family for formulators: lavender, lavandin and spike, clary sage, rosemary, mint and basil — chemistry, chemotypes and EU allergen status.

Questions about Star Anise Oil

Sources

• PubChem — substance 135339810, checked 19 October 2026.
• Eden Botanicals — Star anise — distributor's description.
• Premiere Peau — Fennel (comparing anise and star anise) — published perfumery reference.
• Basenotes — I discovered anise (forum) — 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.