Dodecanal is a straight-chain C12 aldehyde found in citrus, coriander-leaf, and other aldehydic essential-oil profiles, where it contributes a waxy aldehydic top note. The strongest live evidence for AromaForge is identity data from NIST and repeated occurrence in local oil records, especially cilantro herb. Public constituent-specific bioactivity evidence exists but is modest and mixed, including insect chemical-ecology work and weak-to-moderate antibacterial findings, while a dedicated fragrance-safety assessment for dodecanal itself was not verified in this pass.
Chemical identity and composition
NIST lists dodecanal as C12H24O, CAS 112-54-9, with common names including lauraldehyde, lauric aldehyde, and aldehyde C-12. In archive context it is more important as an odor-active fatty aldehyde than as a deeply studied standalone active.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded waxy, soapy, citrus peel, fatty, aldehydic descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- 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 Journal of Chemical Ecology study identified dodecanal from young female-associated material and reported that it arrested males but not females, supporting its role as a sex pheromone cue in Cephalonomia tarsalis.
The PubMed abstract explicitly names dodecanal as the behaviorally active compound in this insect model.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2023 antibacterial study on Etlingera elatior essential oil reported that dodecanal showed only weak or moderate antibacterial activity against tested Staphylococcus aureus strains, notably weaker than 1-dodecanol.
The accessible abstract snippet is useful mainly because it prevents overstatement: dodecanal was active, but not the strongest constituent tested.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
Use concerns and concentration limits
Sensitization concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
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.
A recorded constituent reference, not a recommended oil dilution. Product category, source applicability and all contributing oils must be checked before use.
recorded reference · IFRA Code of Practice (49th Amendment) fragrance-concentrate category limit and RIFM Fragrance Material Safety Assessment CAS 112-54-9, as aggregated by Scents & Flavors database; 1% solution patch test reported no irritation or sensitizationNo constituent-specific RIFM safety assessment for dodecanal was verified in this research pass.
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.
As an aliphatic aldehyde, dodecanal should be described cautiously in consumer copy because aldehydes can be chemically reactive even when used at low odor levels.
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 public evidence base located here is stronger for identity and occurrence than for modern toxicology or human-use data.
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
odorant_or_chemosignal_activity
The wasp pheromone paper supports dodecanal functioning as a behaviorally active odor cue in insect chemical communication.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
reactive_aldehyde_chemistry_with_likely_oxidation_to_dodecanoic_acid
This is a chemistry-grounded inference rather than a dedicated metabolism paper from this pass; straight-chain aldehydes commonly oxidize to the corresponding fatty acid.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
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 (4)
- No human clinical literature specific to isolated dodecanal was located in this pass.
- Most direct constituent-level findings were ecological or microbiology studies rather than fragrance-use studies.
- dermal_limit_pct updated from an unsourced 0.1 to 2 (2026-07-13): the Scents & Flavors safety database (citing IFRA's 49th Amendment Code of Practice and the RIFM Fragrance Material Safety Assessment for CAS 112-54-9) lists a 2% maximum in fragrance concentrate and reports no irritation or sensitization at 1% solution; the underlying RIFM PDF itself was not independently fetched in this pass, so treat as industry-database tier rather than primary RIFM text.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.