Valencene

What Valencene smells like

Valencene is a sweet, orange-like sesquiterpene with a woody side, the major sesquiterpene of orange peel oil. Bedoukian describes its natural grade as sweet, fresh citrus, grapefruit, woody and orange, and recommends it for woody notes in citrus compositions; IFF gives orange, citrus and woody; BASF describes its fermentation-made grade as strong, fresh orange, juicy and slightly herbal. Unlike the citrus monoterpenes it is very persistent — The Good Scents Company gives a substantivity of two weeks on a blotter.

Leading note

Sweet orange

Clear facets

Woody

Supporting facets

Grapefruit

Faint facets

Herbal

Character

Sweet, juicy, woody, long-lasting

• citrus
• sweet
• woody
• orange

What makes Valencene distinctive

Orange that lasts. It carries a sweet, juicy orange impression far beyond the fleeting citrus top, with a woody undertone — and it is the starting material for nootkatone.

How Valencene is used

Used to give woody depth and persistence to citrus compositions and orange flavours.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend); blender (smooths the joins between other materials).

How Valencene differs from similar materials

d-Limonene

Limonene is the light, fleeting orange-peel top; valencene is sweeter, woodier and far more persistent.

Nootkatone

Nootkatone, mostly made from valencene, is grapefruit — bitter and woody; valencene stays sweet orange.

Sweet Orange Oil

Valencene is one of sweet orange oil's characteristic minor constituents; the oil is fresher and juicier, valencene sweeter, woodier and far longer-lasting.

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.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Occurs in nature

Odour family

Citrus / Woody

Note position

Heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

(+)-Valencene

CAS number

4630-07-3

Molecular formula

C15H24

Molecular weight

204.35 g/mol

IUPAC name

(3R,4aS,5R)-4a,5-dimethyl-3-prop-1-en-2-yl-2,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-1H-naphthalene

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 9855795, 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 (1,685 reports): H304 may be fatal if swallowed and enters airways (98.5% of reports). 1 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

• Nootkatone

  Aroma chemical · Citrus / Woody — grapefruit, woody, citrus, bitter

• Sweet Orange Oil

  Essential oil · Citrus / Fruity — citrus, sweet, juicy, orange peel

• Grapefruit Oil (Expressed)

  Essential oil · Citrus / Fruity — citrus, bitter, juicy, sparkling

• d-Limonene

  Aroma chemical · Citrus / Fruity — citrus, orange, fresh, light

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 2 published formulas

Valencene is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Mandarin Tiles

  RUŌOD House Original

• Orange Soda Sunset

  RUŌOD House Original

Further reading

• Citrus Oils in Perfumery: Bergamot, Lemon, Orange and Their Limits

  The main citrus oils, phototoxicity and FCF bergamot, why citrus fades and how to extend it, oxidation, allergens, and grades from expressed to terpeneless.

Questions about Valencene

Sources

• PubChem — compound 9855795, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• The Good Scents Company — valencene (with Bedoukian's description) — odour database.
• IFF — Valencene — manufacturer's description.
• BASF Isobionics — Natural Valencene 75 specification — manufacturer's description.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.