What Is Laurel Oil? A Guide to Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil
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The bay laurel tree gives two very different materials: a fixed oil from its berries and an essential oil from its leaves. This guide explains what laurel berry (fruit) oil is, how it differs from bay leaf essential oil, how it is made, how soap makers use it, and what to check when sourcing it in bulk.
What Is Laurel Oil?
Laurel oil — also called laurel berry oil, laurel fruit oil or laurel berry base oil — is a thick, aromatic carrier oil made from the berries of the bay laurel tree, Laurus nobilis. Its INCI name is Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil (CAS 84603-73-6).
It is a fixed oil, rich in fatty acids and unsaponifiable compounds, and it is the defining ingredient in traditional Aleppo soap. The oil we supply is Turkish, from Hatay, Türkiye.
Common buyer and search names for Laurus nobilis include Bay Tree, Sweet Bay, True Laurel and Grecian Laurel. Supplier catalogs also list the leaf essential oil as “bay laurel” or “laurel leaf” essential oil — so check whether a laurel or bay oil is the berry (fruit) oil or the leaf oil.
Laurel Berry Oil vs. Bay Leaf Essential Oil
Both materials come from Laurus nobilis, but they are different products with different uses and properties — a distinction that matters for soap and cosmetic formulators sourcing the correct material. Confirm the INCI name on the documents.
| Laurel Berry Oil | Bay Leaf Essential Oil | |
|---|---|---|
| INCI | Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil | Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil |
| Plant part | Berries (fruit) | Leaves |
| Process | Traditional water extraction | Steam distillation |
| Type | Fatty / carrier oil | Essential oil, high 1,8-cineole |
| Appearance | Thick, yellow-green to dark green; semi-solid below ~21°C / 70°F | Pale yellow to light green liquid |
| Typical use | Base oil in Aleppo-style soap (12–40%) and cosmetic formulations | Fragrance component, always used diluted |
Chestnut Supply supplies both. For the leaf oil, see bulk bay leaf essential oil.
How Laurel Oil Is Made (Not Cold Pressed)
Laurel berry oil is made from Turkish-origin Laurus nobilis berries using traditional water extraction. It is a traditional laurel berry oil — not a cold-pressed oil and not a steam-distilled essential oil.
What to check: the extraction method and the INCI name — Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil for the berry oil, Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil for the steam-distilled essential oil. Request the batch COA before you formulate.
Laurel Oil in Soap Making
Laurel berry oil is the key ingredient in traditional Aleppo Ghar soap — a craftsmanship inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024. Olive oil provides the classic bar structure; laurel oil contributes the aroma, color and lather profile associated with Aleppo-style soap.
- Usage rate: typically 12–40% of the oil phase, with 60–88% olive oil in a traditional Aleppo recipe.
- Higher percentages (30–40%): a richer bar texture and a more distinctive laurel character.
- Saponification value: SAP 0.141 (NaOH) / 0.198 (KOH). Enter it in lye calculators as “Laurel Fruit Oil”.
- Method: works in both cold process and hot process soap.
- Handling: semi-solid below ~21°C / 70°F — warm gently to liquefy before weighing.
Beyond soap, formulators use laurel berry oil in balms, creams, lotions, shampoo and conditioner bars, and massage and body oils where its texture, color and laurel aroma fit the product concept. It is for cosmetic and soap use only — not for food or internal use.
Composition & Published Specifications
Typical values for the Turkish laurel berry oil we supply. Values are typical; the current lot may vary — request the batch COA.
| INCI Name | Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil |
| CAS Number | 84603-73-6 |
| EC Number | 283-272-5 |
| Common Names | Laurel Berry Oil, Laurel Fruit Oil, Laurel Oil |
| Extraction | Traditional water extraction |
| Origin | Hatay, Türkiye |
| Color | Yellow-green to dark green (natural batch variation) |
| Consistency | Semi-solid below ~21°C / 70°F; warm gently to liquefy |
| Fatty Acid Profile (typical) | Oleic ~30% | Linoleic ~18% | Lauric ~15% | Palmitic ~12% |
| SAP Value (NaOH) | 0.141 |
| Shelf Life | 24 months (unopened) |
Identifying the Right Grade & Documentation
Before approving a laurel oil supplier, confirm on paper that you are buying the berry oil and not the leaf essential oil:
- INCI and CAS: Laurus Nobilis Fruit Oil, CAS 84603-73-6.
- Extraction: traditional water extraction — not cold pressed, not steam distilled.
- Batch COA: a Certificate of Analysis ships with every batch we supply.
- On request: SDS, TDS, INCI declaration, Certificate of Origin and batch traceability, where relevant to the order.
Buying Laurel Oil in Bulk
We stock Turkish laurel berry oil (Hatay origin) at our Norcross, Georgia warehouse, so US soap makers and cosmetic brands are not waiting on per-order imports.
- •1.25 gallon (160 fl oz) jug: in stock at $265 per jug, minimum order one jug
- • 5 gallon, 55 gallon drum and pallet: quoted on request
- • Recurring supply: recurring-order and standing-PO support for production accounts
See specifications, current stock and ordering on our laurel berry oil wholesale page, or request a drum or pallet quote.