Ginger oil
Under the IFRA Standards a rinse-off soap may hold up to 42.85 % of this oil, a limit set by its Citral.
IFRA maximum for soap
Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:
- Citral
- 2.8 %
- Geraniol
- 0.5 %
- Citronellal
- 0.4 %
- Farnesal
- 0.2 %
Worked out from typical levels. A supplier's certificate for your lot comes first, and its figure is the one to follow.
Check a blend against its IFRA limits and list its allergens in the fragrance and allergen calculator.
How essential oils behave in soap, and how much to use: Scenting soap.
Identity and labelling
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
- Botanical name
- Zingiber officinale
- CAS
- 8007-08-7
The EU does not name this oil itself as an allergen to label, but some of its constituents may be: the fragrance allergen tool works them out for a recipe.
What it is and how it behaves in soap
Ginger oil is steam-distilled from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, grown principally in China, India and West Africa (ISO 16928), usually from the dried root (EFSA). Its main component is α-zingiberene, and it smells warm, woody and slightly lemony, closer to dried ginger than to fresh.
Cable counts ginger among the base notes and uses it at 1.3 % of the oils in a spiced blend with orange and cinnamon leaf; Fisher places ginger with the spicy scents. Grosso advises small amounts because large ones can irritate skin. The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Ginger bridges citrus and spice well. Like other terpene-rich oils it oxidises in air, and oxidised terpenes are stronger skin sensitisers (SCCS), so store it cool, full and closed.
Recipes that use it
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROOT OIL, European Commission
- ISO 16928:2014, essential oil of ginger, International Organization for Standardization (2014). Steam distillation of the rhizome, grown principally in China, India and West Africa; α-zingiberene the main component
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel, Safety and efficacy of essential oil, oleoresin and tincture from Zingiber officinale Roscoe when used as sensory additives in feed for all animal species, EFSA Journal (2020). Oil distilled from the dried rhizome
- Kelly Cable, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners, Althea Press (2017). Ginger among the base notes; at 1.3 % of the oils with orange and cinnamon leaf
- David Fisher, The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making, Creative Publishing International (2018). Ginger among the spicy scents
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). Use small amounts of ginger, as it can irritate skin in large amounts
- Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (SCCS/1459/11), Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, European Commission (2012). Oxidation products of fragrance terpenes are potent sensitisers