CITRAL
Citral is an aroma material that gives many essential oils their lemon note. It consists of two naturally occurring forms, neral and geranial, and their combination accounts for the bright citrus character associated with aromatic materials.
CITRAL: what it is
Citral is an aroma material that gives many essential oils their lemon note. It consists of two naturally occurring forms, neral and geranial, and their combination accounts for the bright citrus character associated with aromatic materials.
It can be obtained from lemongrass and Litsea cubeba oils, among other plant sources, or made synthetically from terpene compounds. Seeing Citral on a label therefore does not establish whether the material in that product came from a plant or from a synthetic route.
CITRAL: what it does in cosmetics
In a formula, Citral is used chiefly for fragrance: it is one of the materials that can build or reinforce a citrus accord. Its scent alone does not identify the origin of an entire fragrance, because cosmetic perfumes commonly combine several aroma materials.
The recorded classifications also include perfuming and flavouring. These describe possible roles for the material; they do not reveal the amount used or support a claim about the finished product beyond aroma or flavour where that use is relevant.
CITRAL: conditions and care
Citral matters to people who already know they react to fragrances or have a history of contact sensitivity. It is classified as a skin sensitiser in hazard information and is among the fragrance allergens that may need to be declared on a cosmetic label.
Its presence on an ingredient list does not state the concentration or predict a reaction for any particular person. For someone who has reacted to perfume or an essential oil before, spotting Citral can support a more careful product comparison and a discussion with a health professional.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
