Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Atlas cedarwood oil
Genuinely relevant for some people, or depends on dose and pH.
Also written as: Atlas Cedarwood Oil · Cedarwood Oil · Cedrus Atlantica Wood Oil
What it is
Atlas cedarwood oil is steam-distilled from the wood of Cedrus atlantica, a tree native to the Atlas Mountains. Its main components are sesquiterpenes including himachalenes and atlantones, which are much less volatile than the monoterpenes in citrus oils. It functions in cosmetics as a warm woody base note.
What it does well
Long-lasting woody base note
Its low volatility means the scent lingers, which is why it is used as a fixative in natural fragrance blends. There is no established skincare benefit.
Strong evidence
Worth knowing
An uncommon but documented cause of contact allergy
Cedarwood oils appear occasionally in essential-oil patch test series as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Rates are low compared with lavender, tea tree or ylang-ylang.
Matters most toPeople with a known essential-oil allergy.
Where the EU stands
No specific restriction
Atlas cedarwood oil is not listed in Annex II and is not on the Annex III fragrance-allergen labelling list. Note that Juniperus Virginiana Oil, the Virginian cedarwood, was added as Annex III entry 358 by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545; it is a different botanical species.
