Constituent · Oxygenated monoterpene
citral
A lemony aldehyde (geranial + neral) behind lemongrass and melissa; potent and a common skin sensitiser at higher levels.
Essential oils richest in citral
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemongrass | 62.17% | 36.59%–77.44% | 84.7% | 6 |
| Melissa | 37.98% | 23.28%–43% | 43.68% | 6 |
| Citronella | 5.1% | 5.1%–5.1% | 5.1% | 2 |
| Lime | 3.95% | 2.52%–4.75% | 9.94% | 11 |
| Ginger | 3.64% | 2.06%–5.23% | 6.81% | 2 |
| Basil | 2.85% | 1.04%–3.8% | 6.9% | 22 |
| Lemon | 1.9% | 0.37%–2.64% | 3.8% | 7 |
| Petitgrain | 1.88% | 1.88%–1.88% | 1.88% | 1 |
| Ylang ylang | 1.88% | 1.88%–1.88% | 1.88% | 1 |
| Rose | 1.7% | 0.9%–3.9% | 7.8% | 5 |
| Fennel | 1.35% | 1.35%–1.35% | 1.35% | 1 |
| Geranium | 1.26% | 0.9%–1.53% | 3.64% | 24 |
| Cardamom | 1.19% | 1.13%–1.26% | 11% | 17 |
| Tangerine | 1.01% | 0.81%–1.22% | 1.42% | 2 |
| Ravintsara | 0.85% | 0.7%–1.01% | 1.16% | 2 |
| Orange | 0.42% | 0.3%–0.61% | 1.09% | 4 |
| Grapefruit | 0.37% | 0.19%–0.4% | 0.9% | 6 |
| Cinnamon bark | 0.35% | 0.35%–0.35% | 0.35% | 1 |
| Lavandin | 0.17% | 0.14%–0.19% | 0.22% | 2 |
| Lavender | 0.17% | 0.13%–0.25% | 0.32% | 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 oxygenated monoterpene 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 →