Chapter 8: Fragrance · Part 1: The listed fragrance allergens
Geraniol
- Officially classed skin allergen
- Contaminant risk
The worst fact: it's been among the top ten fragrance allergens in Dutch and German clinics, and Australia classes the raw chemical as causing serious eye damage.
Why brands use it: it smells of sweet rose.
Take care if: you have a fragrance allergy.
Comes from: geranium oil (about 40%) and citronella oil, or made in a factory.
Myth check: nil.
Contaminants: oxidation products, formed in air.
Fair to say: fewer than 1 in 100 patients tested reacted to it.
We use this ingredient. Geraniol is a large part of the geranium oil in our Bergamot, Geranium & Rose Castile Hand Wash. If you react to fragrance, choose the Sensitive (Unscented) version.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, SCCS/1459/11 (2012); opinion on butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial), SCCS/1591/17; opinion on benzyl salicylate, SCCS/1656/23. health.ec.europa.eu
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS). hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 8.