Scots pine oil
Under the IFRA Standards a rinse-off soap may hold up to 75 % of this oil, a limit set by its 2-Hexenal.
IFRA maximum for soap
Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:
- Longifolene
- 0.09 %
- 2-Hexenal
- 0.02 %
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
Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil
- Botanical name
- Pinus sylvestris
- CAS
- 8023-99-2, 84012-35-1
- EC
- 281-679-2
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
Scots pine oil is steam-distilled from the needles and twigs of Pinus sylvestris, the pine of northern European forests (Allenspach and colleagues). It smells fresh, dry and resinous, the classic pine-forest scent; Grosso gives Russia, the Balkans and Germany as its sources.
Pine is a top note (Fisher) and a seasonal favourite in soap books (Letcavage and Harden). It thins out over the cure unless cedarwood, patchouli or fir anchors it. Our books give no rate of their own, so start from Fisher's general 3.1 to 4.4 % of the oils. The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Pine oils oxidise quickly, and oxidised terpenes are stronger skin sensitisers (SCCS); EU law admits Scots pine oil only while its peroxide value is low. Buy it fresh and keep it cool, full and closed. Cavitch lists pine among oils that can irritate some skin.
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: PINUS SYLVESTRIS LEAF OIL, European Commission
- Allenspach and colleagues, Verification of chromatographic profile of primary essential oil of Pinus sylvestris L. combined with chemometric analysis, Molecules 25, MDPI (2020). Needles and twigs are the source of pine essential oils
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). Pine (Pinus sylvestris) from Russia, the Balkans and Germany, distilled from small branches
- David Fisher, The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making, Creative Publishing International (2018). Pine among the top notes; cedarwood and patchouli as anchoring base notes; starting rate of 0.5 to 0.7 oz per pound of oils
- Elizabeth Letcavage and Melissa Harden, Natural Soap Making, Stackpole Books (2013). Pine among the seasonal scents
- 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
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annexes II and III, via CosIng, European Commission. Annex III, entry 110: the peroxide value of Pinus sylvestris oil must be below 10 mmol/L
- Susan Miller Cavitch, The Natural Soap Book, Storey Publishing (1995). Pine among oils that may be possible irritants