Herbaceous essential oil
Helichrysum
Helichrysum italicum
Helichrysum essential oil is steam distilled from the flowers of Helichrysum italicum, a plant in the Asteraceae family, with Corsica in France as a main origin. Its aroma is fresh, earthy and herbaceous with a subtle tea-like character. Steffen Arctander described its sweetness as honey-like and its tenacity as outstanding, and it is classed as a base note. People choose it for skin blends, massage, calm and meditation, often pairing it with lavender, roman chamomile, frankincense or sweet orange. No maximum skin level has been published, though normal dilution still applies. Several species are sold under the same name with different chemistry, so check the label for the Latin name Helichrysum italicum.
Safety at a glance
- Pregnancy Use with caution
- Children From age 2
- Dogs Generally well tolerated
- Cats Use with caution
- Sunlight Not phototoxic
- On skin No published maximum
Reference
| Botanical name | Helichrysum italicum |
|---|---|
| Plant family | Asteraceae |
| Plant part | Flowers |
| Extraction | steam distillation |
| Main origins | Corsica (France) |
| Aroma family | Herbaceous |
| Note | Base note |
| Aroma | Honeyed, earthy herb with a tea-like sweetness |
| Main constituents | alpha-pinene, gamma-curcumene, neryl acetate, beta-selinene and italidione I |
| Common uses | skin, calm, meditation and massage |
| Suggested maximum on skin | No published maximum |
| Phototoxic | No |
| Shelf life once opened | 2 to 3 years |
| Pregnancy | Use with caution |
| Children | From age 2 |
| Dogs | Generally well tolerated |
| Cats | Use with caution |
| Safety notes | Tisserand and Young list no special precautions for Helichrysum italicum, and no skin limit is set. Other Helichrysum species are sold under the same name with different chemistry, so check the Latin name. It is not on the IFPA pregnancy list, so pregnancy stays at caution. Pet poison lines do not flag it. |
Blends well with
Sources
- Helichrysum Essential Oil, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
- Essential oil shelf life (Robert Tisserand's guideline), AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026