INCI name

CITRAL

Citral

A fragrance substance with a lemon scent.

What it is

Citral is a mixture of two aldehydes (geranial and neral) found in lemongrass, lemon and verbena oils. It gives a fresh lemon note.

Where it is used

Found in perfumed products and products with citrus or lemongrass oils.

Limits of interpretation

The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.

Above set thresholds (0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products) it must be named on EU labels as a fragrance allergen; its presence does not mean the product will cause a reaction.

Functions

Fragrance
Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.
Perfuming
Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.
Flavouring
Imparting taste and/or flavour to a cosmetic product.

EU regulation

EU · Annex III, entry 703,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadienal; (E)-3,7- dimethylocta-2,6- dienal; (Z)-3,7- dimethylocta-2,6- dienal
Product type
(a) Lip make-up products, lipstick, lip salves (b) Deodorants and antiperspirants (c) Eye products, face make-up and make-up remover (d) Fragrance products (hydroalcoholic and non-hydroalcoholic, spray and non-spray) (e) Leave-on skin products (except lip products, deodorants and antiperspirants, fragrance products, eye products, face make-up and make-up remover) and nail products (f) Oral products (g) Hair leave-on products (h) Skin and hair rinse-off products (i) Leave-on products for the anogenital area (baby wipes and intimate wipes)
Maximum concentration
(a) 0,11 % (b) 0,032 % (c) 0,65 % (d) 0,6 % (e) 0,15 % (f) 0,35 % (g) 1,2 % (h) 1,2 % (i) 0,063 %
As of
3 November 2026 · (EU) 2026/909

Safety Gate alerts (EU)

12 alerts about dangerous cosmetics in the EU mention this substance. An alert concerns a specific product, usually one that breaks EU rules.

See all alerts →

Scientific opinions (SCCS)

Opinions of the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety that mention this ingredient. They assess specific uses and concentrations; read the opinion for its scope.

Products with this ingredient (1516)

Check a full ingredient list