GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum, bark)
Cinnamomum verum (bark)
Chemotype: (E)-cinnamaldehyde chemotype (bark)
- PLANT PART
- inner bark
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- mid-base
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.
Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.
FOLLOW YOUR SENSES
Aroma & character
A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.
- Aroma intensity
- 85 / 100
- Note layer
- mid-base
- Approximate tenacity
- 24–72 hours
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
- 0.07%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- medium
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
Not phototoxic. Tisserand & Young dermal maximum 0.07% due to high cinnamaldehyde (~65-80%) and eugenol — high risk of skin sensitization and irritation.
Contraindications & cautions
- majorHigh skin/mucous-membrane sensitizer and irritant (cinnamaldehyde); reported to cause adverse patch-test reactions at 1% cinnamaldehyde concentration in dermatitis patients; avoid use in the bath even when diluted.
- moderateEugenol/coumarin content — platelet-inhibition and drug-interaction caution.
- majorReported embryotoxicity in animal studies; traditionally avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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
An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.
About this composition
Bark oil of C. verum (syn. C. zeylanicum). Defining constituent is (E)-cinnamaldehyde; bark (unlike leaf) is low in eugenol. Typical values from a GC-MS study reporting cinnamaldehyde 71.5%; broader literature spans ~66-98% cinnamaldehyde for bark oil. Contrast: leaf oil is eugenol-dominant.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (E)-Cinnamaldehyde (trans-cinnamaldehyde) | 71.5% | 66.3–97.7% | Phenylpropanoids | View sourcePMC7210559 (71.50%); literature range for bark 66.3-97.7% https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
| Linalool | 7% | — | Monoterpenols | View sourcePMC7210559 (7.00%) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
| β-Caryophyllene | 6.4% | — | Sesquiterpenes | View sourcePMC7210559 (6.40%) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
| 1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol) | 5.4% | — | Oxides | View sourcePMC7210559 (5.40%) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
| Eugenol | 4.6% | 4.6–10% | Phenols | View sourcePMC7210559 (4.60%); bark oil typically 5-10% https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
| Cinnamyl acetate | 0.5% | — | Phenylpropanoids | View sourcePMC7210559 (acetic acid cinnamyl ester 0.5%) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7210559/ |
Profile source: Tisserand & Young, Essential Oil Safety 2nd ed. — cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum bark) monograph: dermal max 0.07% (high skin sensitization risk from cinnamaldehyde/eugenol); avoid in bath · Essential Oil Safety 2e, Cinnamomum verum bark profile; corroborated via secondary summaries citing Tisserand & Young (Tisserand Institute cinnamon survey report, aromaticformulations.com)
What we're still learning · 1 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- The volatility_rate and tenacity_hours values are archive-normalized estimates from the public 'middle to base note of high intensity' wording, not source-native numeric measurements.