Ingredient
*Linalool
Benefits
Natural
Linalool is a natural aromatic compound that induces a profound sense of calm.
What is natural linalool?
Natural linalool is a chemical compound that contributes to the scent of many fragrant plants around the world, mostly from the Lamiaceae (peppermint, lavender, aromatic herbs), Lauraceae (cinnamon, rosewood), and Rutaceae (citrus fruits) families. Ho wood oil is, in fact, almost entirely made up of linalool.
As Lush uses many natural plant extracts to make the fragrance of their products, such as essential oils, absolutes and resinoids, it is common to see linalool naturally occur.
What are the benefits of naturally occurring linalool?
- It gives a soft, floral and citrusy scent to essential oils.
- Has a deeply relaxing effect on the mind and body.
- Helps you fall asleep and have better sleep quality.
- Uplifts the mood.
- Has mild antimicrobial, soothing and antioxidant properties.
How does linalool calm the body and mind?
It is not yet fully proven how linalool affects our brains, as most studies are conducted on animals - and if you’ve known us long enough, you know we don’t believe in those methods. Generally, it's assumed that linalool acts on our GABA neurotransmitters, which calm our nervous system and regulate our physical response to stress.
In any case, studies conducted on humans have reported that inhaling linalool, or essential oils containing it, such as lavender, reduced cortisol levels (the stress hormone), blood pressure, and heart rate. Cortisol inhibits the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone), which means that when we are stressed, we have a much harder time falling asleep. It therefore makes sense that, by lowering cortisol levels, linalool could help us fall asleep more easily and sleep better.
Why does this appear in my list of ingredients?
Linalool, alongside 79 other fragrance substances, has been identified as an allergen by the EU cosmetics regulations and other global bodies. This means that, whether natural or synthetic, it is more likely to cause allergic reactions in the form of skin sensitisation or irritation in susceptible individuals.
While allergies affect only a small minority, it is still important to highlight the presence of allergens in products so that customers who may be more sensitive to them can make informed decisions. These substances are subject to restrictions to ensure their safe use in cosmetics. They must also appear on product labels when they occur above a certain limit: 0,001 % for leave-on products like moisturisers and 0,01 % for rinse-off products like shower gels.
At Lush, these substances can occur naturally in essential oils, absolutes, and resinoids, or may be added to support our fragrance formulas. To help customers better understand what's in their products, we've colour-coded our ingredients on the labels. When obtained from natural sources, the allergen is in green text. When naturally occurring in an ingredient such as an essential oil, it is listed in green, preceded by an asterisk (e.g. *Linalool). When added to a formula in a synthetic form, it is listed in black, without an asterisk.