Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
α-cadinene
α-cadinene 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 22 oils (51 samples), concentrating most in Melissa, Grapefruit, Helichrysum.
Essential oils richest in α-cadinene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa | 2.44% | 1.29%–3.58% | 4.72% | 2 |
| Grapefruit | 1.22% | 1.22%–1.22% | 1.22% | 1 |
| Helichrysum | 0.87% | 0.86%–0.89% | 0.9% | 2 |
| Cardamom | 0.32% | 0.32%–0.32% | 0.32% | 1 |
| Geranium | 0.3% | 0.21%–0.31% | 2.01% | 13 |
| Lemongrass | 0.22% | 0.17%–0.27% | 0.32% | 2 |
| Cajeput | 0.18% | 0.18%–0.18% | 0.18% | 1 |
| Citronella | 0.15% | 0.14%–0.17% | 0.19% | 2 |
| Juniper | 0.11% | 0.1%–0.11% | 0.11% | 2 |
| Basil | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| Fennel | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| Lavender | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| Oregano | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| Pine | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| Spearmint | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
| Thyme | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| Rosemary | 0.06% | 0.06%–0.06% | 0.06% | 1 |
| Sage | 0.06% | 0.05%–0.09% | 0.12% | 3 |
| Ylang ylang | 0.04% | 0.02%–0.11% | 0.15% | 7 |
| Jasmine | 0.03% | 0.03%–0.03% | 0.03% | 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 →