Ingredient
Linalool
Benefits
Natural
This natural linalool extract is a fragrance material. It adds soft, floral and citrusy notes to our perfumes.
What is linalool?
Linalool is an aromatic compound that occurs naturally in varying concentrations in many plants, such as ho wood, lavender or coriander. First synthesised by Nobel laureate Leopold Ružička in 1919, it has become a predominant fragrance molecule in the modern perfume industry.
At Lush, we don’t use synthetic linalool. Instead, we purchase a natural extract, obtained from steam-distilled ho wood, a plant that is almost entirely made up of linalool.
What does linalool smell like?
Linalool has a fresh, floral and softly citrusy character. Its delicate profile combines notes of lily of the valley, rose, lavender, sweet orange and gentle woody warmth.
Although linalool is mainly used in our products for fragrance, it has other potent benefits. It is deeply relaxing for the body and mind and helps uplift the mood and induce sleep. Find out more about these properties here.
Safety and regulations
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.