Roman chamomile oil
IFRA's annex does not list this oil, so no maximum is worked out for it here. Ask your supplier for its IFRA certificate.
IFRA maximum for soap
not in IFRA's annex
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
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
- Botanical name
- Chamaemelum nobile
- CAS
- 84649-86-5, 8015-92-7
- EC
- 283-467-5
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
Roman chamomile oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops of Chamaemelum nobile, produced mainly in France and Italy (ISO 24600). Its esters, isobutyl angelate chief among them, give it a sweet, fruity smell of apples and hay. It is a different plant from German chamomile, whose oil is blue (Grosso).
Faiola's recipe uses chamomile as a small part of a blend with clary sage and litsea, at about 1.2 % of the oils, and Cable counts chamomile among the middle notes. Its apple note is delicate and easily lost in a strong blend. IFRA's annex gives no figure for Roman chamomile oil, so the ceiling is your supplier's certificate.
Chamomile belongs to the daisy family, and Cable warns that people with grass allergies may react to it. Test it in a small batch first, as for any oil new to you (Faiola).
Recipes that use it
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER OIL, European Commission
- ISO 24600:2025, Essential oil of roman chamomile [Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. syn. Anthemis nobilis L.], International Organization for Standardization (2025). Steam distillation of the flowering tops, produced mainly in France and Italy; angelate esters such as isobutyl angelate dominate
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). German chamomile is blue; Roman is more herbal and pale yellow
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking, Storey Publishing (2016). Chamomile with clary sage and litsea cubeba, about 1.2 % of the oils
- Kelly Cable, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners, Althea Press (2017). Chamomile among the middle notes; people with grass allergies may have difficulties with chamomile
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Soap Crafting, Storey Publishing (2013). Test an untried scent in a batch of 1 lb or less