Coffee Essential Oil, 10 ml

Essential oil, coffee is a cold-pressed aromatic oil from roasted beans of the Arabica coffee plant (Coffea arabica) of South American origin. Its main role in a formulation is fragrance: it carries the full, rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee and is used wherever a product should smell of coffee naturally, rather than through a synthetic composition. At the right dosage it lends a pronounced coffee note to scrubs, body and massage oils, balms or scent blends.

Unlike most essential oils, which are produced by steam distillation, this oil is obtained by pressing roasted beans. Along with its aroma it therefore also contains fatty acids, mainly linoleic and palmitic acid, and in a formulation it behaves much like a vegetable oil: it is oily, leaves no feeling of dryness and blends well with other oils and butters. It is an ingredient that is both a fragrance and an oil component.

Key benefits

• Natural coffee fragrance – the aroma of roasted coffee without synthetic fragrance substances, suitable for products that should smell "like a café". In perfumery classification it ranks among the top notes, so the scent sets in quickly and strongly.
• Dual function – the oil both scents and conditions. In a product it serves as a fragrance component while also contributing to the oily character and slip, which is especially useful in massage oils and scrubs.
• Easy processing – it dissolves in oils, butters and alcohol without heating. It is added directly to anhydrous products.
• Not classified under CLP – the substance is not classified as hazardous, which simplifies both working with it and the documentation of the finished product. Safe dosing is nonetheless governed by the IFRA recommendations for the specific product category.

Use in a formulation

The oil is soluble in alcohol and in vegetable oils, but does not dissolve in water. In anhydrous products (oils, balms, solid butters, scrubs) it is added directly as part of the oil phase. In emulsions it belongs in the oil phase. Because it is a fragrance component, it is recommended to add it only to the cooling emulsion, not to the hot oil phase, so that prolonged heating does not cause part of the aroma to be lost. It can be incorporated into water-based products (toners, sprays) only with a solubiliser, otherwise it will separate.

The manufacturer does not state a recommended dosage. The fragrance is intense, so one usually starts from low concentrations and adjusts the dose according to the desired intensity. The upper limit is governed by the IFRA limits for the given type of product (the categories are listed in the parameters).

The oil has a light brown colour and a thicker, viscous consistency. In darker or coloured products (coffee scrubs, chocolate balms) this does not matter, but with light creams and clear oils a slight beige tint should be expected.

Suitable for products such as

• Coffee scrubs – sugar or salt scrubs with ground coffee, where the oil reinforces the coffee fragrance and at the same time serves as a carrier oil.
• Body and massage oils – as both a fragrance and an oil component, often in combination with other oils.
• Balms, solid butters and body butters – added to a melted and slightly cooled base.
• Natural perfumes and scent blends – as a top note in both oil-based and alcohol-based perfumes, where it lends a gourmand coffee accord.
• Creams and lotions – in the oil phase of emulsions with a coffee, chocolate or caramel theme.
• Candles and scented waxes – for a coffee aroma in anhydrous wax systems; its behaviour in a specific wax should be verified.

Good to know

Due to its high proportion of linoleic acid, the oil is more sensitive to oxidation. In finished products it is recommended to add an antioxidant, for example tokoferol, and to protect them from light and heat. The anhydrous oil itself does not need a preservative; however, if you add it to an emulsion or a water-based product, the product must be preserved as a whole.

The aroma of roasted coffee is more volatile than the scent of most vegetable oils. In products with a longer period of use, the intensity of the aroma decreases over time, which is a natural property of top notes. If a product should still smell after a longer time, a combination with more persistent base notes (vanillin, benzoin, tonka) helps.

When planning a formulation it is good to distinguish this oil from coffee oil as a carrier oil. Although in both cases it is an oil pressed from beans, this product is chosen and dosed primarily for its fragrance. It is therefore not used as the main carrier oil of a formulation, but as its fragrance component.

Frequently asked questions