GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Patchouli
Pogostemon cablin
Chemotype: patchoulol / alpha-bulnesene / alpha-guaiene type
- PLANT PART
- leaves
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- 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
- 50 / 100
- Note layer
- base
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
- 84%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- low
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
Tisserand Institute lists patchouli among oils containing extremely small amounts of furanocoumarins that are not enough to make the oil phototoxic.
Contraindications & cautions
- moderateAromaWeb summarizes Tisserand and Young as cautioning that patchouli oil may inhibit blood clotting and pose a drug-interaction hazard.
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
This patchouli record combines a directly readable Liberty Natural certificate of analysis for Indonesian patchouli with a directly readable Indonesia-origin GC/MS report for the broader sesquiterpene profile, then uses live AromaWeb and NHR IFRA documentation for public aroma and safety framing. The retained profile is patchoulol-dominant, with alpha-bulnesene, alpha-guaiene, seychellene, and pogostol as the next directly quantified constituents.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patchouli alcohol | 29.93% | 29.93–29.93% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourcePATCHOULI ESSENTIAL OIL - POGOSTEMON CABLIN - Certificate of Analysis Sheet (COAS) https://www.libertynatural.com/coa/2956.htm (Patchoulol content 29.93%) |
| alpha-Bulnesene | 17.57% | 17.57–17.57% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Patchouli Essential Oil Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Bulnesene 17.57%; Country of Origin Indonesia) |
| alpha-Guaiene | 14.01% | 14.01–14.01% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Patchouli Essential Oil Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Guaiene 14.01%; Country of Origin Indonesia) |
| Seychellene | 6.84% | 6.84–6.84% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Patchouli Essential Oil Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Seychellene 6.84%; Country of Origin Indonesia) |
| Pogostol | 2.425% | 2.32–2.53% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourcePATCHOULI ESSENTIAL OIL - POGOSTEMON CABLIN - Certificate of Analysis Sheet (COAS); Certificate of Analysis Patchouli Light COG EO PCHL725COGEO2997 https://www.libertynatural.com/coa/2956.htm (Pogostol content 2.32%) ; https://www.lgbotanicals.com/assets/images/Certificate%20of%20Analysis%20Patchouli%20Light%20COG%20EO%20PCHL725COGEO2997.pdf (Pogostol 2.53%) |
Profile source: PATCHOULI ESSENTIAL OIL - POGOSTEMON CABLIN - Certificate of Analysis Sheet (COAS); GC/MS Report - Patchouli Essential Oil Lot 13559; IFRA 50 Conformity Certificate Organic Patchouli Essential Oil; IFRA 51 Conformity Certificate Organic Patchouli Essential Oil; Patchouli Essential Oil: Benefits, Uses & Insights; Phototoxicity: essential oils, sun and safety · https://www.libertynatural.com/coa/2956.htm ; https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf ; https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20240118114716e_Patchouli_IFRA_50.pdf ; https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20241119150148e_Patchouli_IFRA_51.pdf ; https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/patchouli-essential-oil.php ; https://tisserandinstitute.org/phototoxicity-essential-oils-sun-and-safety/
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, calming effect
- reported to support relaxation and easing of occasional stress
- used in perfumery as a rich, earthy, musky-sweet base note and fixative
- traditionally associated with promoting emotional balance and sensuality
- used in massage and skin-care blends for its warm, woody-earthy aroma
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 · 4 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- The public IFRA 51 certificate now reports patchouli as 'Not restricted' across the relevant leave-on categories, but it does not publish a numeric cap. The stored max_dermal_pct 84 is therefore the last public numeric facial leave-on figure found in the live IFRA 50 certificate, not a newly invented value.
- No directly readable public CAS registry page for pogostol was located during this pass, so the constituent CAS remains null rather than guessed.
- Odor intensity 50 is an archive normalization of AromaWeb's categorical 'Medium' aroma-strength descriptor rather than a source-native 0-100 measurement.
- No directly measured public volatility-rate or tenacity-hour values were located for this patchouli profile.