beta-Cedrene is a cedarwood-linked sesquiterpene hydrocarbon found in several conifer and cedarwood oils already present in the AromaForge archive, especially Virginian, Texas, and Chinese cedarwood profiles. The strongest evidence located in this pass is still modest: identity and occurrence data are clear, one older antimicrobial paper implicated alpha- and beta-cedrene as active western-juniper components, and a human-liver-microsome study reported selective CYP2B6 inhibition. That makes beta-cedrene useful as a cedarwood marker with limited preclinical bioactivity context, not a constituent with established human-effect evidence.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem resolves beta-Cedrene as CID 11106485 with formula C15H24 and the stereodefined cedrane skeleton name (1S,2R,5S,7S)-2,6,6-trimethyl-8-methylidenetricyclo[5.3.1.0(1,5)]undecane. PubChem synonyms include Cedr-8(15)-ene and CAS 546-28-1. In the local archive, beta-cedrene is already recorded at 4.9% in Texas cedarwood, 4.98-6.05% in Virginian cedarwood, and 5.7% in Chinese cedarwood.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, cedarwood, dry, cedar-like descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- Review the flagged use concerns across every contributing oil and the selected dilution.
- Read the route, preparation and experimental context before using a study finding to choose an oil.
Reported benefits and effects
Findings retain their study context. An animal or laboratory result describes that experiment.
A 2001 study of Pacific Northwest wood extracts reported that alpha- and beta-cedrene from western juniper were active components in antimicrobial testing against the panel of anaerobic bacteria and yeast used in that paper.
A 2001 study of Pacific Northwest wood extracts reported that alpha- and beta-cedrene from western juniper were active components in antimicrobial testing against the panel of anaerobic bacteria and yeast used in that paper.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 human liver microsome study reported that cedrol, beta-cedrene, and thujopsene competitively inhibited CYP2B6-mediated bupropion hydroxylase activity, with beta-cedrene listed among the potent inhibitors.
A 2014 human liver microsome study reported that cedrol, beta-cedrene, and thujopsene competitively inhibited CYP2B6-mediated bupropion hydroxylase activity, with beta-cedrene listed among the potent inhibitors.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
A 2012 Cunninghamia lanceolata var. konishii heartwood-oil paper identified beta-cedrene at 3.5% in the oil, but attributed the reported anticancer and antimicrobial activity mainly to cedrol rather than to beta-cedrene itself.
A 2012 Cunninghamia lanceolata var. konishii heartwood-oil paper identified beta-cedrene at 3.5% in the oil, but attributed the reported anticancer and antimicrobial activity mainly to cedrol rather than to beta-cedrene itself.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
Use concerns and concentration limits
Sensitization concernFlagged
Flagged in the constituent reference; assess the source, route and finished-product concentration.
Phototoxicity concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
Oxidation concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
Penetration enhancementNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
No numeric constituent-specific use limit is available here. Missing is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
The reviewed public evidence for beta-cedrene is too limited to support benefit-style copy beyond composition and early preclinical context.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
The CYP2B6 inhibition report is an in vitro interaction signal in human liver microsomes and should be treated as a mechanistic caution rather than a direct real-world contraindication.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
No constituent-specific IFRA dermal limit, phototoxicity warning, or human tolerability study was verified for isolated beta-cedrene in the reviewed public sources.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Constituents it may interact with
No constituent-pair interaction is recorded for this identity. The report does not assume either amplification or incompatibility.
How the effects were investigated
competitive CYP2B6 inhibition
The available microsome study described beta-cedrene as a potent competitive inhibitor of CYP2B6-mediated bupropion hydroxylase activity, suggesting a specific in vitro drug-metabolism interaction signal.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
What this report cannot establish
- A reported constituent percentage does not establish an effective human therapeutic dose or the amount absorbed into the body.
- The presence of a constituent does not guarantee a clinical benefit, rash treatment or sleep improvement from a custom blend.
- An unflagged concern or missing use limit does not establish safety for ingestion, inhalation, skin exposure or a particular person.
- A candidate constituent interaction does not establish that two oils amplify one another at the selected proportions.
- Constituent descriptors alone do not establish a precise top, heart or base lifetime in a finished blend.
Known data gaps (5)
- No human clinical studies specific to isolated beta-cedrene were located in the reviewed public sources.
- The direct activity evidence is sparse and older, with much stronger support for occurrence than for standalone bioactivity.
- A dedicated 2026-07-13 IFRA/Tisserand/EU Annex III search for beta-cedrene found no compound-specific restriction listing or fragrance-safety monograph; the related alpha-cedrene isomer carries an IFRA Category 4 restriction (~1.5%) but this cannot be extrapolated to beta-cedrene without direct evidence, so dermal-limit, sensitization, and phototoxicity endpoints remain unverified.
- No constituent-specific numeric dermal reference is available here.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.