Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
α-farnesene
α-farnesene 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 30 oils (113 samples), concentrating most in Basil, Jasmine, Ylang ylang.
Essential oils richest in α-farnesene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | 12.58% | 11.28%–14.12% | 14.82% | 6 |
| Jasmine | 10.45% | 10.45%–10.45% | 10.45% | 1 |
| Ylang ylang | 7.15% | 5.68%–12.61% | 31.5% | 21 |
| Cardamom | 7% | 7%–7% | 7% | 1 |
| Citronella | 5.33% | 5.33%–5.33% | 5.33% | 1 |
| German chamomile | 4.06% | 0.79%–9.67% | 15.25% | 5 |
| Tea tree | 3.9% | 3.9%–3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| Ginger | 3.6% | 3.6%–3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| Geranium | 3.49% | 1.09%–3.81% | 4.23% | 6 |
| Lavender | 2.71% | 2.71%–2.71% | 2.71% | 1 |
| Oregano | 1.84% | 1.47%–1.97% | 2.1% | 3 |
| Copaiba | 1.8% | 1.8%–1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| Yarrow | 1.43% | 0.58%–2.93% | 5.1% | 4 |
| Manuka | 1.27% | 1.27%–1.27% | 1.27% | 1 |
| Black pepper | 1.09% | 0.64%–1.79% | 2.5% | 3 |
| Clove | 0.52% | 0.29%–0.75% | 0.78% | 4 |
| Clary sage | 0.43% | 0.43%–0.43% | 0.43% | 1 |
| Lime | 0.43% | 0.29%–0.86% | 6.43% | 14 |
| Melissa | 0.4% | 0.21%–0.57% | 0.91% | 7 |
| Grapefruit | 0.39% | 0.34%–0.57% | 0.75% | 3 |
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 →