Bisabolol, or more formally α-(−)-bisabolol or also known as levomenol,[1] is a natural monocyclic
sesquiterpene alcohol. It is a colorless viscous oil that is the primary constituent of the
essential oil from
German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Myoporum crassifolium.[2] High concentrations of bisabolol can also be found in certain
medicinal cannabis cultivars. It is poorly soluble in water and
glycerine, but soluble in
ethanol.[3] The
enantiomer, α-(+)-bisabolol, is also found naturally but is rare. Synthetic bisabolol is usually a
racemic mixture of the two, α-(±)-bisabolol. It is the
terpenoid responsible for distinctive aroma of
chamomile flowers, and when isolated, its scent has also has been likened to apples, sugar and honey.
Bisabolol has a weak sweet floral aroma and is used in various fragrances. It has also been used for hundreds of years in cosmetics because of its skin healing properties including reducing wrinkles, skin toughness and repairing sun-damaged skin, and more recently it has been compounded with
tretinoin as a topical treatment for
acne.[4] Bisabolol is known to have anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.[5][6] Bisabolol is also demonstrated to enhance the percutaneous absorption of certain molecules and has found use as a
penetration enhancer: an agent used in topical formulations, increasing the substances propensity for absorption beneath the
skin.[4][7]
A structurally related compound known as β-bisabolol (
CAS registry number [15352-77-9]) differs only in the position of the tertiary alcohol functional group.