Geranyllinalool is a floral-woody diterpene alcohol used in fragrance work and found in selected aromatic plant materials in the AromaForge archive, including khella. The live evidence base is strongest for identity, biosynthetic role, and fragrance-safety context rather than for standalone wellness effects. Public research supports its role as a geranyllinalool-synthase product involved in plant defensive volatile pathways, while fragrance-safety literature shows it has been formally assessed as a fragrance ingredient. The accessible bioactivity evidence in this pass is still limited and should be framed cautiously.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem lists geranyllinalool as C20H34O with InChIKey IQDXAJNQKSIPGB-HQSZAHFGSA-N and the IUPAC name (6E,10E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-1,6,10,14-tetraen-3-ol. NIST indexes the same CAS under (E,E)-Geranyllinalool. In the local archive it appears as a notable constituent in khella at 5.40%.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded mild, floral, rose-like, balsamic 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 2014 Plant Physiology paper identified geranyllinalool synthases in Solanaceae and other angiosperms and described them as an ancient diterpene synthase branch involved in the synthesis of defensive compounds.
A 2014 Plant Physiology paper identified geranyllinalool synthases in Solanaceae and other angiosperms and described them as an ancient diterpene synthase branch involved in the synthesis of defensive compounds.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
A 2013 termite and pine-wood study reported geranyllinalool as a natural insecticidal component in four European ecosystems, supporting an ecological defense role rather than a human therapeutic use claim.
A 2013 termite and pine-wood study reported geranyllinalool as a natural insecticidal component in four European ecosystems, supporting an ecological defense role rather than a human therapeutic use claim.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2024 Food and Chemical Toxicology citation confirms geranyllinalool received a dedicated RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment.
A 2024 Food and Chemical Toxicology citation confirms geranyllinalool received a dedicated RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
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 concernFlagged
Flagged in the constituent reference; assess the source, route and finished-product concentration.
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 · Fragrance material review on geranyl linalool, Food and Chemical Toxicology 46 (2008) S189-S196 (ScienceDirect S0278691508003402), citing IFRA 2004 maximum skin level for geranyl linalool in fine fragranceA dedicated 2024 RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment exists for geranyllinalool, which supports describing it as a formally reviewed fragrance ingredient rather than an unassessed trace constituent.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
The reviewed public sources in this pass did not yield robust human efficacy studies for isolated geranyllinalool, so copy should avoid presenting it as a proven therapeutic active.
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
geranyllinalool synthase pathway entry
Plant geranyllinalool synthases convert geranylgeranyl diphosphate into geranyllinalool, establishing it as a precursor for herbivory-related defensive diterpenoid and homoterpene pathways.
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 (4)
- No human clinical studies for isolated geranyllinalool were verified in this pass.
- The accessible literature is materially stronger for biosynthesis and fragrance safety than for constituent-specific pharmacology.
- Future upgrades could add direct dermal or inhalation toxicology details if more of the 2024 safety assessment becomes publicly accessible.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.