Cinnamon in Perfume: From the Pharaoh's Tomb to the Bottle

You know cinnamon from the Christmas market, from apple strudel and from your cappuccino. But in perfume? There, cinnamon is a bit of a diva: it makes a scent warm, glowing and seductive in an instant, yet it may only be used in tiny amounts, because its main molecule can irritate the skin. The ancient Egyptians already used it, Greek storytellers invented giant birds to hide where it came from, and today it is found in bestsellers from Xerjoff to Parfums de Marly. What is cinnamon in perfume, how is it obtained, and how can you recognise it?

What actually is cinnamon?

Cinnamon is bark, more precisely the thin inner bark of young shoots. Botanically there are two large groups. Cinnamomum verum, also called Ceylon cinnamon, is considered “true cinnamon”. It originally comes from Sri Lanka, which still supplies 80 to 90 percent of the world's production of this species. Most of the cinnamon on the market, however, is cassia: Chinese cinnamon (C. cassia), Indonesian (C. burmanni) and Saigon cinnamon from Vietnam (C. loureiroi). In terms of volume, China leads, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

How is cinnamon harvested?

The harvest is handwork, and one of the most demanding in the world of spices. In Sri Lanka the trees are harvested for the first time at around three years of age and then yield bark for 40 to 50 years. The shoots are cut, the outer bark is scraped off, the stem is rubbed, and then the inner bark, only about half a millimetre thick, is peeled off in long strips. As they dry, the strips curl up by themselves into the familiar sticks.

The people who can do this are called peelers, and they are scarce. According to the Sri Lankan business newspaper Daily FT, around 30,000 peelers worked in the industry in 2017, while about 50,000 were needed. The skill is often passed from father to son, and an academy now trains new specialists. Since 2022, “Ceylon Cinnamon” has been registered in the EU as a protected geographical indication, Sri Lanka's first. This protects origin and craftsmanship and gives producers proof of quality.

How does cinnamon get into perfume?

For perfumery, cinnamon is usually steam-distilled, from two parts of the plant with very different results:

• Cinnamon bark oil is the classic, sweet and warm cinnamon aroma. According to IFRA it typically contains around 75 percent cinnamaldehyde, although analyses vary by origin. The yield is tiny: one Brazilian study found about 0.2 percent oil from the bark.
• Cinnamon leaf oil, by contrast, consists mostly of eugenol, the same molecule that gives cloves their scent. In the same study the eugenol content was around 95 percent, with a yield of about 2 percent.
• Cassia oil contains around 80 percent cinnamaldehyde according to IFRA, which brings it even closer to the pure cinnamon note.

Many perfumers also work with individual molecules or build a cinnamon accord from several components. So when a fragrance pyramid says “cinnamon”, it can mean bark oil, an accord or a blend. Some brands even name the origin: in Honey Aoud by Montale it is cinnamon from Ceylon, in Cuir Infrarouge by Maison Crivelli it is Laotian cinnamon.

Which molecule creates the scent of cinnamon?

The star is called cinnamaldehyde, or “Cinnamal” in cosmetics. In 1834 the French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugène-Melchior Péligot isolated it from cinnamon oil, and a few years later the Italian Luigi Chiozza achieved the first synthesis. In the plant it is formed from the amino acid phenylalanine. Its smell: sweet, spicy, a little balsamic, and for many people simply “cinnamon roll”. The American database The Good Scents Company compares it to the fiery cinnamon candies called Red Hots.

Why is so little cinnamon allowed in perfume?

Because cinnamaldehyde can sensitise the skin. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA), whose standards the fragrance industry follows worldwide, has therefore restricted cinnamal: in fine fragrance a maximum of 0.25 percent is allowed in the finished product, in deodorants only 0.014 percent. A bark oil with 64 percent cinnamaldehyde may therefore be used at just under 0.4 percent in an eau de parfum. In perfume, cinnamon is always the seasoning, never the main course.

In the EU, cinnamal and its relatives must be listed on the packaging as soon as they exceed 0.001 percent in a leave-on product. Since the end of July 2026, an extended list of more than 80 fragrance substances requiring declaration has also applied to cosmetics newly placed on the market. And coumarin, found mainly in cassia, is monitored by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment because of possible strain on the liver in sensitive people. That is why many keen bakers prefer Ceylon cinnamon.

How do I recognise cinnamon in a perfume?

In most compositions cinnamon sits in the heart, often next to clove, cardamom or rose, and only reaches its full effect over a warm base of amber, vanilla, resins or woods. In the first 15 to 30 minutes after spraying, look out for three signals:

• A sweet tingle that recalls cinnamon stars or mulled wine but does not smell of sugar.
• Warmth without heaviness: cinnamon makes a scent glow before the base darkens it.
• A touch of powder in the transition to the base, especially together with vanilla or tonka bean.

Cinnamon loves company. With honey it becomes cosy, as in Naxos; with rum and leather rebellious, as in Tony Iommi Monkey Special; with cardamom and almond creamy, as in Starlight; with incense and oud ceremonial, as in Luxor. Read more about these warm Xerjoff scents in The best warm scents by Xerjoff.

Which perfumes with cinnamon are available at 4D OUTFITTERS?

A selection from our range in which cinnamon plays a part according to the brand's notes:

Smell first, then fall in love

Cinnamon is a spice of nuances: in one scent it glows like a fireplace, in the next it sparkles like a cocktail. The best way to find your favourite is a direct comparison. With every perfume order we include a sample of the scent you ordered, and via the order note in the cart you can request up to four more free samples, for example Naxos, Starlight, Herod and Side Effect for your own cinnamon tasting. Shipping is free from € 200.

Or come to our boutique in Bregenz and smell your way through the warm scents. If you would like to get to know the house behind Naxos and Starlight, read our portrait of Xerjoff. And if you fancy even more spice and sweetness: our selection Gourmand perfume: 7 scents good enough to eat.

Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz

Sources: Wikipedia – Zimt · Wikipedia – Cinnamomum verum · Wikipedia – Cinnamaldehyde · Daily FT · Sri Lanka Export Development Board · SciELO study · IFRA Standards · BfR – Coumarin · The Good Scents Company · Wikipedia – Cinnamon bird · Fragrantica – Cinnamon