Chapter 8: Fragrance · Part 1: The listed fragrance allergens
Linalool
- Officially classed skin allergen
- Contaminant risk
The worst fact: like limonene, it becomes a common allergen once it oxidises. In the same six-country study, 7% of patients reacted to oxidised linalool. Repeated small exposures can set off a reaction in people already allergic.
Why brands use it: it smells of lavender and bergamot.
Take care if: you have a fragrance allergy, or the product is old or has been left open.
Comes from: often made in a factory, from pine chemicals. It's also the main part of coriander oil and a large part of lavender oil.
Myth check: "it's from lavender, so it's gentle": linalool oxidises inside the essential oil too.
Contaminants: hydroperoxides, the allergens it forms in air.
Fair to say: most people never react, and fresh linalool rarely causes allergy.
We use this ingredient. Linalool is a large part of the lavender oil that scents our Lavender Bench Spray, Multi Purpose Cleaner, Laundry Powder and Room Spray. If you react to fragrance, choose an unscented product.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS). hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- Andersch Björkman Y et al. Repeated exposure to oxidised linalool. Contact Dermatitis 2014 (PMID 24588367), citing the multicentre study of 2,900 patients.
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 8.