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Origanum majorana

Sweet marjoram oil

Under the IFRA Standards a rinse-off soap may hold up to 45 % of this oil, a limit set by its Carvone.

IFRA maximum for soap

45 % at most, of the soap

Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:

Carvone
0.4 %
Geraniol
0.3 %

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

Origanum Majorana Leaf Oil

Botanical name
Origanum majorana
CAS
84082-58-6
EC
282-004-4

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

Sweet marjoram oil is distilled from the herb Origanum majorana, which is grown in Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Egypt, Poland and France (Bina and Rahimi). Its main components are terpinen-4-ol and sabinene hydrate, and it smells warm, herbal and gently spicy, softer than oregano.

Grosso scents a calendula bar with marjoram at 1.5 % of the oils beside lavender and rose geranium, and Cavitch groups it with the herbal scents. Our books have little else on it, so try it first in a batch of 454 g (1 lb) of oils or less (Faiola). The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.

Like other terpene-rich oils it oxidises in air, and oxidised terpenes are stronger skin sensitisers (SCCS), so keep the bottle cool, full and closed.

Sources

All essential oils