Citral

Other Name(s):

CAS# 5392-40-5

Citral is a naturally occurring component of lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum), lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora), and more.

Is Citral Faithful to Nature?

Depends.

Citral is a naturally occurring part of many essential oils and is part of many natural ingredients. But, it is very powerful and should be used wisely as an ingredient.

Benefits: Why is Citral used?

Distinctive Scent

Citral has a strong citrus, lemon fragrance.

Insect Repellent

Citral has natural insect repellent powers.

Natural Antibacterial

Citral has natural antibacterial and fungicidal powers.

Common Additive

Citral is a common additive in food and cosmetic products.

Learn more about Citral:

On the Shelf: Which Products Use Citral?

Citral can be found on lemongrass essential oil, and therefore in all of the products which contain lemongrass essential oil.

Production: How is Citral Made?

One of the richest natural sources of citral is natural lemongrass essential oil, which is up to 80% pure, concentrated citral. Lemongrass Essential Oil is made by the steam distillation of the freshly harvested stalks and leaves. However, large chemical companies who supply the perfume industry are able to synthesise citral from other naturally occurring terpenes like myrcene.

Interesting Fact: Citral

In the EU, citral must appear as a separate ingredient in ingredient lists, despite it being a naturally occurring component of essential oils because it is also used in proprietary parfum/perfume/fragrance blends. It must appear separately because it is recognised as an allergenic fragrance.

Lemongrass is chiefly composed of citral, which makes up between 70 and 80% of its total.