What is it?
An essential oil from the Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica, a true cedar native to the Atlas and Rif mountains of Morocco and Algeria. Although its official ingredient name refers to bark, the Atlas cedarwood oil sold commercially is steam-distilled from the wood. Its warm, woody scent comes mainly from compounds called himachalenes and atlantones. It is used in perfumes, personal care products, household products and insect repellents.
Key information
- Commercial Atlas cedarwood oil is about 40 percent beta-himachalene.
- The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety classifies it as an established contact allergen, though reactions in patch tests are uncommon.
- EU labels must name it as Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products placed on the market after July 31, 2026.
- Many oils sold simply as cedarwood oil come from junipers or cypresses rather than true cedars, and have a different makeup.
More information
Only trees in the genus Cedrus are true cedars. Many cedarwood oils come from junipers, such as Virginian and Texas cedarwood, or from cypresses, and are rich in other compounds such as cedrene, cedrol and thujopsene. A 2026 review of 48 commercial Atlas cedarwood oils found on average about 40 percent beta-himachalene, 15 percent alpha-himachalene, 10 percent gamma-himachalene and 5 percent (E)-alpha-atlantone. Because Atlas cedar oil is scarcer and costlier, the review notes it is often adulterated with the similar oil of the Himalayan deodar cedar.
In its 2012 review of fragrance allergens, the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) classified Atlas cedarwood oil as an established contact allergen in humans. The reported rates are low: 0.7 percent of 747 patients with suspected fragrance allergy reacted to a cedarwood oil in one study, and 0.8 percent of 6,223 patients in another, though in both the exact source of the oil was uncertain.
The EU now requires the oil to be named in the ingredient list, as “Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract,” when it exceeds 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products placed on the market after July 31, 2026. EU rules also require its peroxide value to be below 10 millimoles per liter, which limits the oxidation products that build up as the oil ages.
If you are allergic to fragrance ingredients, look for Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil or Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract on labels. Below the labeling thresholds, the oil can be covered by “fragrance” or “parfum”; see our Fragrances/Parfum profile.
Sources: Plants (2026): Cedarwood oils, the wood essential oil compositions from trees known as cedar; SCCS: Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (2012); Official Journal of the EU: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens; European Commission CosIng: Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
