A BOTANICAL PROFILE

GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS

Marigold Tagetes

Tagetes minuta L.

Chemotype: ocimene / tagetone / tagetenone type

freshsweetfloralslightly fruity
PLANT PART
flowers
EXTRACTION
steam distillation
AROMA NOTE
top

Compare with another oilCheck supplier bottlesFind more oils

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

Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.

Finding the matching oil reports…

FOLLOW YOUR SENSES

Aroma & character

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

freshsweetfloralslightly fruity
Aroma intensity
50 / 100
Soft & subtleBold & expressive
Note layer
top

If you like this scent, explore

English Lavender Essential Oil Geranium Chinese Essential Oil Lavender Lavender Oregon Lavender Tagetes Marigold

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
0.01%
Phototoxicity
Phototoxic — use caution
Maximum for sun-exposed skin
0.01%
Oxidation risk
med

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

AromaWeb's public safety section states that tagetes essential oil is extremely phototoxic and must be used at under 0.01% in topical formulations to eliminate phototoxic risk.

Contraindications & cautions

  • majorStrongly phototoxic; for application to skin exposed to sunshine or UV, the recommended maximum dermal use level is 0.01%.
  • majorAvoid use during pregnancy.
  • majorAvoid use with young children and babies.
  • moderateHigh ketone content (~47%) supports caution/avoidance in the elderly and in individuals with a history of seizures.
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

17 constituents

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

About this composition

This profile uses directly readable Tagetes minuta composition data quoted in Brian Lawrence's Perfumer & Flavorist review from a full-bloom Iranian hydrodistilled oil and pairs it with the live AromaWeb tagetes profile for publicly readable identity, organoleptics, and the explicit public phototoxicity warning. Tagetes oil composition is highly variable by harvest stage and origin, so this file is intentionally anchored to one cited full-bloom profile rather than presented as a universal range.

ConstituentTypical amountReported rangeChemical familySource
alpha-Terpineol
20.8%
20.8–20.8%monoterpene alcohol
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, alpha-terpineol 20.8%)
(Z)-beta-Ocimene
17.7%
17.7–17.7%monoterpene hydrocarbon
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, (Z)-beta-ocimene 17.7%)
Dihydrotagetone
13.7%
13.7–13.7%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, dihydrotagetone 13.7%)
(E)-Tagetenone
13.3%
13.3–13.3%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, (E)-tagetenone 13.3%)
(Z)-Tagetone
8.4%
8.4–8.4%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, (Z)-tagetone 8.4%)
(Z)-Tagetenone
6.1%
6.1–6.1%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, (Z)-tagetenone 6.1%)
cis-Dihydrocarvone
5%
5–5%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom profile, cis-dihydrocarvone 5.0%)
Sabinene
0.3%
0.3–0.3%monoterpene hydrocarbon
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Sabinene 0.3%)
Limonene
2.6%
2.6–2.6%monoterpene hydrocarbon
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Limonene 2.6%)
(E)-Tagetone
1.9%
1.9–1.9%monoterpene ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, (E)-Tagetone 1.9%)
trans-beta-Terpineol
0.7%
0.7–0.7%monoterpene alcohol
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, trans-beta-Terpineol 0.7%)
Borneol
0.6%
0.6–0.6%bicyclic monoterpene alcohol
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Borneol 0.6%)
Terpinen-4-ol
0.8%
0.8–0.8%monoterpene alcohol
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Terpinen-4-ol 0.8%)
(Z)-Jasmone
0.7%
0.7–0.7%jasmonate-related ketone
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, (Z)-Jasmone 0.7%)
alpha-Humulene
0.4%
0.4–0.4%sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, alpha-Humulene 0.4%)
Bicyclogermacrene
0.5%
0.5–0.5%sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Bicyclogermacrene 0.5%)
Spathulenol
1.8%
1.8–1.8%oxygenated sesquiterpene alcohol
View source

Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review

https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf (Moghaddam et al. 2007 Tagetes minuta Iranian full-bloom GC/GC-MS profile reported in Lawrence's review, Spathulenol 1.8%)

Profile source: Progress in Essential Oils: Tagetes oil review; Tagetes Essential Oil profile · https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/document/2009/07/pf.PF_34_08_054_05.pdf ; https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/tagetes-essential-oil.php

A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY

Traditional & reported uses

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

  • traditionally used in aromatherapy for grounding, soothing effects in small dilutions
  • reported to support skin comfort in traditional topical folk use
  • used in perfumery sparingly for its intense, fruity-green, apple-like facet
  • traditionally associated with calming blends despite requiring careful dosage due to potency
  • used as a fixative accent in niche floral compositions
Explore related intentionsRelaxation & Calming ↗Stress Relief ↗

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 · 3 data gaps

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

  • Odor intensity 50 is an archive normalization of AromaWeb's qualitative 'Medium' strength-of-initial-aroma band rather than a published 0-100 instrument scale.
  • The public phototoxic limit used here is readable on AromaWeb, which cites Tisserand and Young; no freely readable primary IFRA/tagetes certificate for the exact material was located in this pass.
  • No public source reviewed in this pass provided verified volatility-rate or tenacity-hour values.