Almond Bitter

Prunus dulcis (Mill.) var. amara

Chemotype: benzaldehyde-rich

almondcherrysweetnuttymarzipan-like

PLANT PART: dried ripe kernels
EXTRACTION: steam distillation
AROMA NOTE: top-mid

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LEARN AS YOU COMPARE

What’s inside this oil?

Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.

I’m interested in

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FOLLOW YOUR SENSES

Aroma & character

A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.

almondcherrysweetnuttymarzipan-like

Aroma intensity: 80 / 100

Soft & subtleBold & expressive

Note layer: top-mid

If you like this scent, explore

A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY

Using it thoughtfully

Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.

Cited dermal maximum · leave-on: 0.06%
Phototoxicity: Not flagged in this profile
Oxidation risk: high

A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.

No phototoxic constituents or UV-related dermal restriction were identified in the consulted bitter almond sources.

Contraindications & cautions

majorThe source describes bitter almond oil as FFPA material because poisonous hydrocyanic acid generated during processing must be removed before use.

Read the complete safety guide

Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches

A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT

Inside the oil

3 constituents

An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.

About this composition

The accessible technical reference for natural bitter almond oil describes FFPA material produced after hydrocyanic acid removal. The source provides specification-style assay values rather than a full GC-MS distribution, so this record remains partial beyond benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, and hydrocyanic acid limits. A public IFRA certificate issued on November 22, 2024 for Almond Bitter (Natural Benzaldehyde) Essential Oil identifies benzaldehyde at 100.0000% of the restricted material and sets a 0.06% IFRA Category 5A leave-on ceiling, which is the strongest public dermal-use figure located in this pass.

Constituent	Typical amount	Reported range	Chemical family	Source
Benzaldehyde	98%	—	Aromatic aldehydes	View source Natural Oil of Bitter Almond https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2016/03/pf.9157.pdf (page 4 lines 241-244: benzaldehyde assay 98% min.)
Benzoic acid	0.5%	0–1%	Aromatic acids	View source Natural Oil of Bitter Almond https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2016/03/pf.9157.pdf (page 4 lines 241-244: benzoic acid assay below 1%; pct_typical set to the midpoint of the cited upper bound because no distinct typical value was published)
Hydrogen cyanide	0.01%	0.01–0.01%	Nitriles	View source Natural Oil of Bitter Almond https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2016/03/pf.9157.pdf (page 4 lines 241-243: hydrocyanic acid assay 0.01%; pct_typical set to the reported assay value)

Profile source: Natural Oil of Bitter Almond; O&3 U.K. Limited IFRA Certificate for Almond Bitter (Natural Benzaldehyde) Essential Oil (EU Nat Compliant) K0013 · https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2016/03/pf.9157.pdf ; https://files.plytix.com/api/v1.1/rn/public_files/pim/assets/96/f0/5c/64/645cf096b0a90000019bdc9c/texts/10/31/43/67/67433110bda117b97aed96b3/IFRA%20Statement%20-%20Almond%20Bitter%20%28Natural%20Benzaldehyde%29%20Essential%20Oil%20%28EU%20Nat%20Compliant%29-2.pdf/K0013ifrastatement.pdf

A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY

Traditional & reported uses

These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.

Used in perfumery for gourmand, marzipan, cherry, and almond accords.
Can be rectified and used as a bitter-almond style fragrance ingredient, but not for ingestion.

For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.

What we're still learning · 2 data gaps

Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.

No accessible primary source with a full GC constituent breakdown beyond specification-style benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, and hydrocyanic acid assay values was found in this pass.
No source-backed volatility rate or tenacity values were verified in this pass.