Fragrance allergen

Geranyl Acetate

Geranyl acetate is the acetate ester of geraniol, a colourless liquid with a sweet, fruity-rosy smell and a hint of lavender. It occurs in many essential oils. Perfumers use it as a modifier in floral and citrus compositions. It was added to the EU's named-allergen list in 2023.

Formula
C12H20O2
Molar mass
196.29 g/mol
CAS
105-87-3

Where it comes from

Geranyl acetate is a natural constituent of more than 60 essential oils, including Ceylon citronella, palmarosa, lemon grass, petit grain, neroli and geranium. It can be obtained by fractional distillation of essential oils. It can also be prepared semi-synthetically by condensing geraniol, the common natural terpene alcohol, with acetic acid.

Smell and use

Sweet, fruity-floral and rosy, somewhat green, with a faint lavender note and moderate tenacity. Suppliers describe a rose and green odour with lavender undertones.

It is used frequently to build flowery-fruity nuances such as rose, and also citrus and lavender notes. It acts as a sweetener and modifier in floral, fruit, herbaceous and citrus fragrance types. One supplier says it is primarily used in rose and tuberose complexes. It is also a flavouring.

On the label

Named on 12% of the 6,851 perfume ingredient lists we hold (834 perfumes).

EU
Annex III, entry 369. Must be named above 0.001% in leave-on products (0.01% rinse-off).
Great Britain
Not on Great Britain's list. It came to the EU list in 2023 and a GB label need not name it.

The SCCS opinion SCCS/1459/11 recorded no current regulation for geranyl acetate, and listed it among esters that can be activated by hydrolysis in the skin, alongside isoeugenyl acetate and eugenyl acetate. It was added to the named allergens by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, with naming required above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products. In ECHA notifications aggregated by PubChem, 77.6% of those giving hazard codes include H317.

A list that does not name it does not prove it is absent: brands only have to name it above the threshold.

Frequency by concentration

  • Eau de parfum 12% of 4,889
  • Eau de toilette 7% of 1,227
  • Extrait 11% of 341
  • Parfum 39% of 194
  • Cologne 5% of 114
  • Body spray 26% of 42
  • Other 26% of 27

Share of the perfumes we hold a list for, in each concentration.

Named alongside

Share of the lists naming Geranyl Acetate that also name each of these.

Perfumes whose box names it

Common questions

What does geranyl acetate smell like?

It smells sweet, fruity and floral, close to rose, with some green freshness and a faint lavender-like edge. Suppliers describe a rose and green odour with lavender undertones.

Is geranyl acetate natural or synthetic?

Both. It is a natural constituent of more than 60 essential oils, such as citronella, palmarosa and neroli. It can also be made by combining geraniol with acetic acid, so a supplier's source will vary.

Why is geranyl acetate on my perfume label?

The EU's 2023 update added it to the fragrance substances that must be named in the ingredients when above 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off products, instead of sitting under Parfum.