What does Citronellic acid do?

Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial, an anti-seborrheic and a fragrance ingredient.

Is Citronellic acid safe?

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
industrial

Citronellic acid

CAS 57030-77-0

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

502-47-6

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Citronellic acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as 3,7-Dimethyloct-6-enoic acid · 6-OCTENOIC acid, 3,7-DIMETHYL- · Citronellic acid, (±)- · Rhodinic acid · Rhodinolic acid · 3,7-Dimethyl-6-Octenoic Acid
Show all 12 names
4-02-00-01610 (Beilstein Handbook Reference) · Citronellic acid, (+/-) · Callitrol · Citronellate · Citronellic acid, 98% · UNII-1JJT408R87
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an antimicrobial, an anti-seborrheic and a fragrance ingredient.
Antimicrobial
Anti-seborrheic
Fragrance
Flavouring
Deodorant
Anti-dandruff
Is it a concern?: We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Citronellic acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Deodorizer, Anti-dandruff.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Biocide, Deodorizer, Anti-dandruff.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Citronellic acid. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Citronellic acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated February 8, 2019
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Citronellic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Named organisations

Typical roles

AntimicrobialAnti-seborrheicFragranceFlavouringDeodorantAnti-dandruff

See products using Citronellic acid →