Almond, Bitter EO

Prunus armeniaca L.

(11)

Bitter Almond essential oil has the sweet, nutty, intense aroma of almonds reminiscent of marzipan and almond extract, with strong notes of cherry. The oil has been rectified to remove the naturally occurring, toxic prussic acid.

Size

Selected size SKU:59-016 - Almond, Bitter 15 ml (1/2 oz) (w/ orifice reducer)

Sample 1 ml (1/30 oz)
$3.00
Out of stock
5 ml (1/6 oz)
$23.50
Out of stock
with orifice reducer
15 ml (1/2 oz)
$54.00
Out of stock
with orifice reducer
30 ml (1 oz)
$94.00
Out of stock
59.14 ml (2 oz)
$166.75
Out of stock
118.29 ml (4 oz)
$296.75
Out of stock
236.58 ml (8 oz)
$534.00
Out of stock
Inquire About Bulk Pricing
Details
Solubility & Blending Suggestions
Suggested Resources
Safety Considerations
Certificates of Analysis (COA)
Documentation

Product Overview

Bitter Almond essential oil has the sweet, nutty, intense aroma of almonds reminiscent of marzipan and almond extract, with strong notes of cherry. The oil has been rectified to remove the naturally occurring, toxic prussic acid.

Our Bitter Almond essential oil is a delightful addition to any perfumer’s aromatic palette. Unlike its cousin the Sweet Almond and the extract of almonds, Bitter Almonds naturally contain traces of prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide) making them ultimately lethal to ingest and a good thing to avoid. Our Bitter Almond essential oil is steam distilled from crushed and pressed apricot kernels (it can also be extracted from the kernels of cherries, plums and peaches[1]), then rectified to remove the toxic prussic acid. However, this oil is still NOT SUITABLE FOR INGESTION in any way and must be used with caution as it can cause severe skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Benzaldehyde, the primary constituent in Bitter Almond essential oil, has a long history of commercial use in fragrances. One of the classic gourmand aromas, Bitter Almond oil smells like marzipan (almond paste) heaven – rich, intense and very food-like. It lends a sweet, nutty, cherry-like top note to natural perfumes, and a seductive and alluring nuance to men’s colognes.[2] 

1 Arctander, Steffen.  Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, 1960, p. 51.

2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_KCTYkoPg 

Blends Well With

Balsam of Peru Oil EO

$13.00 / 15 ml

Butter CO2

$10.25 / 15 ml

Cocoa Family

$0.00

Coffee Bean Family

$0.00

Jasmine Family

$0.00

Osmanthus Absolute

$185.75 / 15 ml

Patchouli Family

$0.00

Sandalwood Family

$0.00

Tonka Bean Family

$0.00

Vanilla Family

$0.00

Ylang Ylang Family

$0.00

Amyris EO

$9.25 / 15 ml

4.8

11 Reviews

81.8%
9
18.2%
2
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0

Customer Reviews

mascarino cherry!

Rating

Out of the bottle, i get hit with mascarino cherry! super sweet, super nutty, super volatile, almond goodness!

Review by blake 1/27/2024

True Almond smell

Rating

One of the most volatile oils I have ever experienced....The smell seems to be gone in 10 minutes if applied neat to the skin....But those 10 minutes are pure almond love....I love mixing this with cacao, labdanum and nutmeg to create a delectable chocolate amber accord.....its a great tippy top note to play with...but beware...It does not take much to be potent in a blend...

Review by Aroma Alchemist 3/31/2018

Yummy!

Rating

I added some (a little too much, possibly: the entire sample vial) to a batch of coffee eye creme (12 oz organic ground coffee infused for a month in 20 oz sunflower oil, then strained & coffee oil whipped with 8 oz shea butter). I was striving for a scent evocative of coffee & rich pastry. I don't know if that's what I achieved, but it sure smells yummy.

Review by Rosalie Stafford 2/3/2018

Cherry goodness

Rating

If you like the smell of marischino cherries in a super concentrated form, this is the oil for you. Works wonders for gourmand blends, but use with caution. Very strong stuff and one or two drops too many will easily overpower your blend.

Review by Justin 10/18/2017

Delicious Scent

Rating

I love this scent. It has a wonderful warm sweet note, a cherry almond scent that smells like a pastry shop. I recently added this to a long list aroma ingredients to make a custom blend for myself. I am looking forward to being able to wear this. My only compliant is that I wish it stayed a little longer on the skin. I have to be sure I add glucam(Perfume Fixative (Glucam™ P-20 humectant) This fixative is what most perfumers use to help the perfume top notes last longer. Average use is 5 to 20 drops per one ounce of perfume. Glucam™ P-20 humectant. Using too much can flatten or dampen a perfume).

Review by Felicia 3/15/2017

You need to be logged in to submit a review

Suggested Reading

logo

2025-01-22

How to Get Started in Natural Perfumery – An Ancient Art for Modern Times

Creating your own botanical perfumes and aromatic formulations with natural essences is a beautiful alternative to today’s synthetic perfumes. For over 5,000 years, humans have been making perfumes with natural plant and flower oils, extracts, and spices.

logo

2025-01-06

Good Intentions – aromas for supporting our New Year visions

Throughout history, the aromas of plants, trees and flowers have been used to help enhance our intentions during times of introspection, ceremony, prayer, and meditation. Whether enjoyed through anointing oils and perfumes, cosmetics or diffusion, beautiful aromas can help

logo

2024-12-27

Boozy Aromas – Notes of Whisky, Wine, and Fruity Fermentedness

There’s something about the rich, diffusive and bubbly aroma of booze that conjures for many the ambiance of calm, cozy firesides or warm wood libraries full of leathery tomes. Aromas of whisky, wine, fermenting fruit and fine liquor may bring to mind late summer harvests, carefree celebrations,