Citral, with the CAS number 5392-40-5, is a naturally occurring compound found in various essential oils, particularly in lemon and lime oils. It is known for its strong lemon-like scent, making it a popular choice in perfumery for adding fresh, citrus notes to fragrances. Citral is often used in both top and middle notes, contributing to the overall brightness and uplifting character of a composition. In addition to its use in perfumes, citral is also utilized in flavoring and as a fragrance in household products. However, it is important to note that citral is classified as a potential allergen and is subject to regulatory scrutiny. It is included in the IFRA's list of restricted substances, which means that its concentration in cosmetic products must be carefully monitored to ensure safety for consumers. Perfumers should be aware of these restrictions when formulating with citral, balancing its desirable scent profile with compliance to safety standards. — AI-generated summary, 2026-09-02.
Intensely lemony, sharp and zesty with a bright, almost metallic citrus tang. The opening is piercing and slightly aldehydic, evolving into a drier, greener lemon-peel character with a faint soapy edge.AI · claude-opus-4-7
Composition, IFRA restriction figures, allergen concentrations and where this material is bought are part of Perfume Foundry’s curated library and need an account. Create one or sign in.
Other ingredients whose composition declares this material as a constituent. The percentage shown is the supplier-declared concentration in that parent.
Perfume and Flavor Chemicals, page 272.
Colorless liquid.
Insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol, miscible with most perfume and flavor oils.
Widely used as a powerful lemon-fragrance chemical, but suffers from poor stability in many types of functional products.
Very commonly used in flavor compositions. Used in imitation apple, cherry, ginger, grape, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, spice, strawberry and even in vanilla.
Accordingly, its use is somewhat restricted and there is a low limit of concentration of Citral for most perfumes.
Concentration is normally about 40 ppm in the finished product, but can be up to 150-170 ppm in chewing gum.
Produced from many methods
Natural complex substances (NCSs) in which this material typically occurs.
| NCS | Botanical | Typical % |
|---|---|---|
| LEMONGRASS OIL, EAST INDIAN | Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steudel) Will. Watson | 73% |
| LITSEA CUBEBA OIL | Litsea Cubeba(Lour.) Pers. | 69% |
| MELISSA OIL (GENUINE MELISSA OFFICINALIS L.) | Melissa officinalis L. | 58% |
| LEMON OIL TERPENELESS | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 40% |
| VERBENA OIL AND ABSOLUTE (LIPPIA CITRIODORA KUNTH.) | Lippia citriodora (L.) Kunth | 25.6% |
| PETITGRAIN LEMON OIL | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 23% |
| LIME OIL. EXPRESSED FOLDED (2-5X) | Citrus aurantifolia (Christman) Swingle | 20% |
| LEMON OIL COLD PRESSED | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 12% |
| MANDARIN OIL, TERPENELESS | Citrus reticulata Blanco | 10.5% |
| KUMQUAT OIL, FORTUNELLA MARGARITA | Fortunella (Lour.) Swingle | 10% |
| ORANGE PEEL OIL, BITTER, TERPENE-FREE | Citrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link | 10% |
| TANGERINE OIL TERPENELESS | Citrus reticulata blanco | 10% |
| LIME OIL, COLD PRESSED, FUROCOUMARIN FREE | Citrus aurantifolia (Christman) Swingle | 7% |
| CITRON OIL | Citrus medica L. | 5% |
| MEYER LEMON OIL. COLD PRESSED | Citrus x meyerii | 5% |
| ORANGE PEEL OIL, SWEET TERPENELESS | Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck | 5% |
| GINGER OIL (ROOT) | Zingiber officinale Rosc. | 2.8% |
| LEMON OIL, FUROCOUMARIN FREE | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 2.1% |
| EUCALYPTUS RADIATA OIL | Eucalyptus radiata Sieber ex DC oil | 1.5% |
| ROSE OIL | Rosa x damascena Mill. | 1.4% |
| GRAPEFRUIT OIL, FOLDED | Citrus paradisi Macf. | 1.2% |
| LEMONGRASS OIL TERPENES | Cymbopogon spp. | 1% |
| CITRONELLA OIL, CEYLON TYPE | Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle | 0.8% |
| BERGAMOT OIL EXPRESSED | Citrus bergamia (Risso) Wright & Arn. | 0.7% |
| CYPERUS ARTICULATUS OIL | Cyperus articulatus L. | 0.7% |
| LEMON EXTRACT | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 0.7% |
| PETITGRAIN BIGARADE OIL | Citrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link | 0.65% |
| PALMAROSA OIL | Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats | 0.6% |
| LEMON OIL, TERPENES | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | 0.51% |
| GERANIUM OIL | Pelargonium graveolens l'Hertier ex Aiton | 0.5% |
| GERANIUM OIL, TERPENE-FREE | Pelargonium graveolens l'Hertier ex Aiton | 0.5% |
| BERGAMOT OIL, FUROCOUMARIN FREE | Citrus bergamia (Risso) Wright & Arn. | 0.43% |
| CARDAMOM SEED EXTRACT | Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton | 0.35% |
| ORIGANUM OIL (EXTRACTIVE) | Thymus capitatus L. Hoffmanns & Link | 0.3% |
| LIME OIL, TERPENELESS | Citrus aurantifolia (Swingle) | 0.22% |
| LIME OIL, EXPRESSED | Citrus aurantifolia (Swingle) | 0.2% |
| MARJORAM OIL, SPANISH | Origanum mastichina L. | 0.2% |
| ORANGE FLOWER OIL, BITTER (NEROLI AND NEROLI BIGARADE) | Citrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link | 0.2% |
| PETITGRAIN MANDARIN OIL TERPENELESS | Citrus reticulata Blanco | 0.16% |
| ORANGE OIL, SWEET, PSORALEN-FREE | Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck | 0.15% |
| ORANGE ESSENCE OIL | Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck | 0.15% |
| BERGAMOT OIL TERPENES | Citrus bergamia (Risso) Wright & Arn. | 0.1% |
| GRAPEFRUIT OIL | Citrus paradisi Macf. | 0.1% |
| BITTER ORANGE PEEL OIL EXPRESSED | Citrus aurantium L. spp. Amara Link | 0.1% |
| MURCOTE OIL, EXPRESSED | Citrus reticulata spp. murcote, Swingle | 0.1% |
| TANGELO OIL, EXPRESSED | Citrus x tangelo Ingram and Moore | 0.1% |
| TANGERINE OIL | Citrus reticulata blanco | 0.1% |
| LIME OIL TERPENES | Citrus aurantifolia (Swingle) | 0.05% |
| ROSE ABSOLUTE | Rosa x damascena Mill. | 0.05% |
| CASSIE ABSOLUTE | Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Willd. | 0.03% |
| CITRUS JUNOS OIL | Citrus junos Siebold ex. Tanaka ichangensis × reticulata var. austera (reticulata var. austera) (Rutaceae) | 0.01% |