Natural Citronellal
Natural Citronellal is a colourless to pale yellow mobile liquid with a fresh, lemony-rosy odour and a green herbaceous undertone characteristic of crushed citronella grass.
It is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde with the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₈O, registered under CAS 106-23-0. The natural material is isolated directly from citronella, lemongrass, and Eucalyptus citriodora oils and carries the chiral signature of its botanical source.
We source bulk Natural Citronellal from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Guangdong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 250 kg plastic drum or 1,000 kg IBC tote
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow mobile liquid |
| Odour | Fresh, lemony-rosy, with a green citronella-grass undertone |
| Assay (GC) | ≥ 85.0% (standard natural grade); ≥ 95.0% (Eucalyptus citriodora grade) |
| Aldehyde Content (as citronellal) | ≥ 85.0% |
| Specific Gravity (25/25°C) | 0.850-0.860 |
| Refractive Index (20°C) | 1.446-1.456 |
| Optical Rotation (20°C) | +1.0° to +14.0°, botanical source dependent |
| Acid Value | ≤ 1.0 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 10 meq/kg |
| Colour (Gardner) | ≤ 1 |
| Solubility in 70% Ethanol | 1 volume clear in 8 volumes |
| Water Content (Karl Fischer) | ≤ 0.5% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Shelf Life | 24 months in sealed original packaging, stored cool and under nitrogen |
Common Markets Grades
Several purity tiers of Natural Citronellal reach the market, each tied to a source and a downstream application.
Standard natural grade at 85 to 90 percent assay is fractionated from Java-type citronella oil (Cymbopogon winterianus) and used directly in fragrance compounding, insect-repellent blends, and household-care perfume.
High-purity natural grade at 95 to 97 percent is produced from Eucalyptus citriodora oil through careful fractional distillation. It carries a higher level of the (+)-enantiomer and is preferred for fine-fragrance work and for downstream synthesis of natural hydroxycitronellal and menthol.
Food-grade natural citronellal meeting FCC specifications is produced for citrus-floral flavour compounds in beverages, confectionery, and bakery, with peroxide value tightly controlled.
Cosmetic and aromatherapy grades are bottled under nitrogen with antioxidant protection to slow oxidation of the aldehyde group during shelf life.
Applications
- Insect repellent formulations including candles, sprays, lotions, and patio diffusers
- Fresh citrus and lemongrass fragrance accords
- Soap, shower gel, and shampoo perfume systems with a fresh citrus profile
- Household cleaners and surface care for a lemon-fresh signature
- Air freshener and reed diffuser bases
- Aromatherapy blends positioned around relaxation and clarity
- Flavour compounding for citrus, melon, and herbal beverage profiles
- Starting material for synthesis of hydroxycitronellal (muguet note)
- Starting material for natural menthol production via intramolecular ene reaction
- Starting material for citronellol and isopulegol synthesis
- Functional fragrance for candles where lemon character is required
Brands Using Natural Citronellal
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Natural Citronellal on the ingredient label.
- Mrs. Meyer's Clean DayBluebell Liquid Dish Soap ↗Listed: 'Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Lauramine Oxide, Fragrance, (Amyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Citronellal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene d, Linalool)…'Label verified 2026-05-24
- Mrs. Meyer's Clean DayRose Liquid Dish Soap ↗Fragrance components listed: 'Citronellal, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool'.Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Natural Citronellal
Top Natural Citronellal manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Natural Citronellal
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Natural Citronellal out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Natural Citronellal together with other ingredients such as Capsicum Oleoresin, Ethyl Maltol and White Pepper into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Natural Citronellal is recognised by IFRA as a fragrance ingredient with category-specific use guidance based on skin sensitization data.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 lists it in the European Union as a fragrance allergen requiring declaration on cosmetic labels above 0.001 percent in leave-on and 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.
FEMA GRAS status is held under FEMA 2307 for use as a flavouring substance. The European Union approves it as a flavouring under FL 05.021. JECFA has evaluated the aliphatic acyclic terpene aldehyde group and finds the substance safe at current use levels.
EPA registers citronellal as an active ingredient in arthropod repellents and biopesticide formulations. The material is REACH-registered and appears on TSCA, DSL, AICS, IECSC, KECL, and PICCS inventories.
Manufacturing Process
Natural Citronellal is recovered almost entirely from two essential oils.
Java citronella oil, steam-distilled from the grass Cymbopogon winterianus, contains roughly 35 to 45 percent citronellal alongside geraniol and citronellol. Fractional distillation under reduced pressure separates the aldehyde fraction at around 80 to 90 degrees Celsius at 10 mmHg.
Eucalyptus citriodora oil, distilled from the leaves of Corymbia citriodora in Brazil, China, and Vietnam, contains 65 to 85 percent citronellal and is the preferred feedstock for high-purity natural material. Single-stage fractionation can deliver 95 percent assay directly.
The aldehyde is sensitive to acid and base, both of which catalyse cyclization to isopulegol, so distillation columns are operated with neutral packing and short residence times. Final product is sparged with nitrogen and stabilised with natural tocopherols before drumming.
For non-natural applications, synthetic citronellal is produced by selective hydrogenation of citral over a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst, but only the botanically isolated material carries the natural label.
