What is it?
An essential oil steam-distilled from the rhizome, or underground stem, of ginger, Zingiber officinale. It is used in the beverage and fragrance industries, and in cosmetics as a fragrance and skin-conditioning agent. Ginger oil is typically rich in sesquiterpenes such as zingiberene, ar-curcumene, beta-bisabolene and beta-sesquiphellandrene, though some oils are dominated by lemon-scented citral.
Key information
- In a report published in 2026, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that ginger root oil is safe as used in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
- The FDA lists ginger among the essential oils generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food.
- Oils from most Australian ginger clones in one study were 51 to 71 percent citral, a skin allergen the EU requires to be named on labels.
More information
Ginger oil is made by steam distilling the rhizome, and its composition varies widely. It is typically high in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, but in a study of 17 Australian ginger clones, oils from 16 contained 51 to 71 percent citral, the lemon-scented pair of compounds neral and geranial.
In a safety assessment published in 2026, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded that ginger root oil and seven other Zingiber officinale-derived ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-sensitizing. The Panel’s stated concern was potential sensitizers such as citronellol, and it advised formulators combining several botanicals not to let shared constituents build up to harmful levels. It found the data insufficient to judge one other ingredient, ginger leaf cell extract.
Citral, prominent in some ginger oils, must be named on EU labels above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products. Because of its potential to cause skin sensitization, the EU also caps citral in cosmetics placed on its market from January 1, 2027, for example at 0.15 percent in most leave-on skin products. The FDA lists ginger among the essential oils generally recognized as safe for their intended use in food.
On cosmetic labels, look for Zingiber Officinale Root Oil or Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil. Ginger root extract, powder and juice are separate ingredients with different compositions.
Sources: Int J Toxicol (2026): CIR Safety Assessment of Zingiber officinale (Ginger)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2006): Essential oil composition of ginger clones grown in Australia; EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/909 (includes new limits for citral); eCFR: 21 CFR 182.20, Essential oils generally recognized as safe
