Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
α-bulnesene
α-bulnesene is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon — a heavier, woody or spicy base-note compound that lingers longer than the light terpenes. Across our dataset it was measured in 10 oils (101 samples), concentrating most in Patchouli, Vetiver, Valerian.
Essential oils richest in α-bulnesene
Measured relative composition (GC peak-area %) pooled across published GC-MS samples — median, typical range (middle 50%) and the maximum seen.
| Oil | Median | Typical range | Max | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patchouli | 18.1% | 8.7%–20.11% | 21% | 11 |
| Vetiver | 4.99% | 4.7%–5.29% | 5.58% | 2 |
| Valerian | 1.38% | 1.38%–1.38% | 1.38% | 1 |
| Helichrysum | 0.9% | 0.9%–0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| Melissa | 0.77% | 0.77%–0.77% | 0.77% | 1 |
| Cinnamon bark | 0.7% | 0.63%–0.78% | 0.81% | 8 |
| Basil | 0.68% | 0.5%–1.15% | 3.39% | 74 |
| Tarragon | 0.2% | 0.2%–0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| Frankincense | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| Petitgrain | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Oils in our library are linked above — open any profile for its full composition, safety panel and the research behind it.
Related constituents
Other sesquiterpene hydrocarbon compounds across the oils.
Figures are GC peak-area percentages pooled across published GC-MS samples, not concentrations, and describe chemistry — not health effects. How this is built →