Nerol is the cis isomer of geraniol, a rose-citrus monoterpene alcohol that appears across neroli, petitgrain, rose, geranium, palmarosa, and helichrysum profiles in the AromaForge archive. The strongest public evidence for nerol is its identity, repeated natural occurrence, and modern fragrance-safety review rather than human clinical efficacy. Public preclinical literature does report anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and tissue-protective findings in animal models, but those data remain model-specific and should not be presented as medical claims.
Chemical identity and composition
NIST identifies nerol as the Z isomer of 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol with formula C10H18O and CAS 106-25-2. PubChem classifies it as a monoterpenoid alcohol. In archive oils it usually appears as a secondary oxygenated monoterpene rather than the dominant constituent, although it can still be odor-relevant in rose, neroli, and petitgrain profiles.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded fresh, rose-like, citrus-floral, sweet, green descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- Compare the recorded goal signals with the intended purpose, while keeping model assumptions separate from observed study outcomes.
- 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 2016 mouse study reported that oral nerol reduced pathologic markers in oxazolone-induced colitis and lowered mechanical hyperalgesia.
Across 30-300 mg/kg oral dosing, nerol decreased colon-damage markers and reduced elevated IL-13 and TNF-alpha levels while showing antinociceptive effects in the model.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
RIFM's 2023 safety assessment concluded that nerol was not genotoxic and had margins of exposure above 100 for repeated-dose and reproductive-toxicity endpoints.
The published assessment reports a repeated-dose NOAEL of 100 mg/kg/day, developmental-toxicity NOAEL of 191.2 mg/kg/day, fertility NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg/day, and no expected phototoxicity or photoallergenicity.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
How it contributes to goal calculations
Model markers guide the formulation score. They are separate from the source findings above.
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.
A recorded constituent reference, not a recommended oil dilution. Product category, source applicability and all contributing oils must be checked before use.
unverified reference · No source provenance attachedRIFM's 2023 assessment concluded that nerol is safe as described in the fragrance-use context reviewed by the Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety.
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 same review reports a skin-sensitization NESIL of 11000 microg/cm2 by geraniol read-across and did not expect nerol to be photoirritating or photoallergenic based on UV/Vis assessment.
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.
Benefit-facing evidence located in this pass is preclinical, so copy should avoid converting colitis, antinociceptive, or cytokine findings into human therapeutic claims.
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
These are research candidates recorded in the interaction matrix. They do not add a proven-amplification bonus to the score.
GeraniolAmplification candidate
Candidate in the research matrix. A coefficient alone does not establish amplification at the dose, route or goal of your blend; no proven amplification is inferred from this row.
in vitro · antioxidant
No source citation attached.
Read Geraniol report →CarvacrolAmplification candidate
Candidate in the research matrix. A coefficient alone does not establish amplification at the dose, route or goal of your blend; no proven amplification is inferred from this row.
in vitro · effect
No source citation attached.
Read Carvacrol report →How the effects were investigated
reduction of inflammatory cytokine output including TNF-alpha and IL-13 in a colitis model
The oxazolone-colitis paper links nerol treatment with lower inflammatory cytokine levels and less hyperalgesia in mice, supporting an inflammation-modulating effect in that specific preclinical setting.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
shared allylic monoterpene-alcohol sensitization logic with geraniol by read-across
The RIFM safety assessment assigns nerol a skin-sensitization NESIL from geraniol read-across, reflecting structural and toxicologic similarity rather than a nerol-only induction dataset.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
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 (6)
- This research pass did not verify a high-quality human clinical trial on isolated nerol.
- Most constituent-specific bioactivity literature located here is animal-model work rather than direct human evidence.
- No public constituent-specific IFRA-style finished-product dermal maximum for isolated nerol was verified beyond the broader RIFM safety assessment framing.
- The numeric dermal reference lacks source provenance; a verified flag alone is insufficient.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.
- Interaction candidates lack an attached source citation and remain unqualified.