ABSTRACT
Rosewood oil is the essential oil obtained from the wood of the rosewood, Aniba rosaeodora Ducke. The oil possesses a characteristic aroma and is a long-established ingredient in the more expensive perfumes and a perfume fixative. It is cited to be used in food production also. Rosewood oil is rich in linalool, a chemical which can be transformed into a number of derivatives of value to the flavor and fragrance industries, and up until the 1960s rosewood oil was an important source of natural linalool. Rosewood oils were produced in French Guyana between 1900 and 1970, and had a very good reputation among perfumers. Rosewood oil is a colorless to pale yellow clear mobile liquid which has a fresh, floral and tender woody odor. Contact allergy to/allergic contact dermatitis from rosewood oil has been reported in two case reports only. In one, linalool may have been an allergen in rosewood oil.
