# citral

> A lemony aldehyde (geranial + neral) behind lemongrass and melissa; potent and a common skin sensitiser at higher levels.

Canonical page: https://essential-oils.club/compounds/citral

- **Chemical class:** Oxygenated monoterpene
- **PubChem CID:** 638011 (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/638011)
- **Measured in:** 23 oils, 129 GC-MS samples

## Where it's found

Share of each oil (median of GC-MS samples, with interquartile range):

| Oil | Median % | IQR % | Max % | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Lemongrass](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/xiang-mao) | 62.17 | 36.59–77.44 | 84.7 | 6 |
| [Melissa](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/melissa) | 37.98 | 23.28–43 | 43.68 | 6 |
| [Citronella](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/citronella) | 5.1 | 5.1–5.1 | 5.1 | 2 |
| [Lime](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/lime) | 3.95 | 2.52–4.75 | 9.94 | 11 |
| [Ginger](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/ginger) | 3.64 | 2.06–5.23 | 6.81 | 2 |
| [Basil](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/basil) | 2.85 | 1.04–3.8 | 6.9 | 22 |
| [Lemon](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/jade-lemon) | 1.9 | 0.37–2.64 | 3.8 | 7 |
| [Petitgrain](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/petitgrain) | 1.88 | 1.88–1.88 | 1.88 | 1 |
| [Ylang ylang](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/ylang-ylang) | 1.88 | 1.88–1.88 | 1.88 | 1 |
| [Rose](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/rose) | 1.7 | 0.9–3.9 | 7.8 | 5 |
| [Fennel](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/fennel) | 1.35 | 1.35–1.35 | 1.35 | 1 |
| [Geranium](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/geranium-bourbon) | 1.26 | 0.9–1.53 | 3.64 | 24 |
| [Cardamom](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/cardamom) | 1.19 | 1.13–1.26 | 11 | 17 |
| [Tangerine](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/tangerine) | 1.01 | 0.81–1.22 | 1.42 | 2 |
| [Ravintsara](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/ravintsara) | 0.85 | 0.7–1.01 | 1.16 | 2 |
| [Orange](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/orange) | 0.42 | 0.3–0.61 | 1.09 | 4 |
| [Grapefruit](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/grapefruit) | 0.37 | 0.19–0.4 | 0.9 | 6 |
| [Cinnamon bark](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/cinnamon-bark) | 0.35 | 0.35–0.35 | 0.35 | 1 |
| Lavandin | 0.17 | 0.14–0.19 | 0.22 | 2 |
| [Lavender](https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/lavender) | 0.17 | 0.13–0.25 | 0.32 | 3 |

Methodology: https://essential-oils.club/oils/methodology

_Educational reference only — not medical advice. Essential oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease._