Patchouli oil comes from the leaves of the patchouli plant. It adds a warm, earthy base note under the brighter citrus oils, like orange, in our lemongrass all-purpose and glass and mirror cleaners. It is there for scent only. It does not cut grease or lift grime.
Contains added scent. Not a patchouli person? Our Fragrance-Free All-Purpose Refill and Spray Kit have no fragrance or essential oils. No fragrance-free glass cleaner yet.
Quick facts
- What it is: Patchouli leaf oil (Pogostemon cablin oil), labeled Patchouli Oil
- Its job: Fragrance only
- Where it comes from: Leaves of Pogostemon cablin, a bushy plant in the mint family (Tisserand & Young, 2014), typically dried, lightly fermented and steam-distilled
- EPA Safer Choice: Not on its ingredients list
- CAS number: 8014-09-3
Where the earthy smell comes from
Its earthy character comes mainly from patchoulol, also called patchouli alcohol (Tisserand & Young, 2014). Patchoulol is a heavier molecule than the limonene in citrus oils (molar mass about 222 versus 136 g/mol; National Center for Biotechnology Information, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
We have not measured how long each note lasts once our cleaner dries, so we make no claim that patchouli lingers longer than the rest.
Allergen status
Since 2023, EU cosmetics labels must name patchouli oil above 0.001% (leave-on) or 0.01% (rinse-off) (European Commission, 2023). That is a cosmetics rule, not a cleaner rule, but it names allergens one by one. If scents bother you, look for patchouli oil.
Safer Choice judges fragrances under separate criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). See how we vet ingredients.
Handling and safety
- Undiluted essential oils can irritate skin and eyes. Each tablet holds a little, diluted in water.
- Store unused tablets packaged and out of reach. They can look like candy.
- We found no pet toxicity listing for patchouli oil, so we make no claim either way. Both products also contain orange oil, and the ASPCA lists the orange plant, not our cleaner, as toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA, n.d.-b). Keep pets away until surfaces dry. Never apply cleaner to an animal.
- We have not measured dried residue, so wipe high chair trays with a damp cloth.
If something goes wrong
- Eyes or skin: rinse well with water. Call your doctor if irritation continues.
- Swallowed: call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, n.d.).
- Pet ate a tablet or cleaner: call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, fee may apply (ASPCA, n.d.-a).
Where you will find it
Patchouli oil is in two blends. Lemongrass (lemongrass, orange, lemon, ylang ylang and patchouli oils) scents our all-purpose cleaner. Glass & Mirror (orange, grapefruit, patchouli, cedarwood and cypress oils) scents our glass cleaner.
- All-Purpose Refill, Lemongrass
- All-Purpose Kit, Lemongrass
- Glass & Mirror Refills
- Glass & Mirror Kit
See all our ingredients →
Sources
- America's Poison Centers. (n.d.). [Homepage]. https://poisoncenters.org/
- ASPCA. (n.d.-a). ASPCA Poison Control. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- ASPCA. (n.d.-b). Orange. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/orange
- European Commission. (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1545/oj
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.-a). Limonene. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 22311. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/22311
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.-b). Patchouli alcohol. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 10955174. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/10955174
- Tisserand, R., & Young, R. (2014). Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-a). Safer Chemical Ingredients List. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-b). Safer Choice criteria for fragrances. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-criteria-fragrances
