Terpene Atlas · Sesquiterpene alcohol

/bih-SAB-oh-lol/ · (-)-α-Bisabolol (levomenol)

Alpha-Bisabolol

The soft chamomile-and-honey sesquiterpene alcohol · genuinely a recognized skin-care ingredient, which lore then over-reads as an internal calming cure.

ChamomileHoneySoft flowersApplesWoodMild pepper

Formula

C₁₅H₂₆O

Weight

222.37 g/mol

Class

C15 · monocyclic (one ring, one hydroxyl)

Form

Clear and colorless to pale yellow

Meet the molecule

One open chain, not a cage

Molecular class

Sesquiterpene alcohol · C15 · monocyclic (one ring, one hydroxyl)

Formula · weight

C₁₅H₂₆O · 222.37 g/mol

Biosynthetic origin

A monocyclic C15 sesquiterpene alcohol derived from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP).

Structural trait

A six-membered ring with a long hydroxyl-tipped side chain · heavy, oily, and slow to evaporate, the opposite of a light monoterpene top note.

Usually reported as α-bisabolol; the natural (-)-levomenol form is the one most sourced from chamomile and candeia.

Aroma spectrum

A qualitative sensory map

Relative prominence is illustrative, not a measured profile. Aroma is never produced by one molecule alone.

Chamomile

Honey

Soft flowers

Apples

Wood

Mild pepper

floral fruity woody spice

Physical identity

The isolated compound

Appearance

Clear and colorless to pale yellow.

Texture

Viscous oily liquid.

Volatility

A heavy, low-volatility sesquiterpene alcohol · it lingers as a soft base note long after lighter terpenes have gone.

This describes the isolated chemical. It does not predict whether flower will be dense, sticky, purple, or frosty.

Extreme close-up of the Alpha-Bisabolol resin, its glassy interior in detail

The resin, up close

Where it appears in nature

Beyond cannabis

Botanical sources of Alpha-Bisabolol: German chamomile, Candeia, Sage, Poplar

German chamomile A primary natural source. Candeia Brazilian candeia trees. Sage Poplar

grams per mole

222.37

A heavy C15 sesquiterpene alcohol · far heavier and slower to evaporate than the light monoterpenes, which is why it lingers as a soft, skin-friendly base note. PubChem

Evidence ladder

What's known · and how well

Research is ranked by strength, not promised as effects. Isolated-compound findings are separated from whole-cannabis evidence throughout.

Established mechanism1 claim

Bisabolol is a monocyclic C15 sesquiterpene alcohol derived from farnesyl diphosphate · established chemistry.

established isolated terpene PubChem PMC

Brain research1 claim

Preclinical sedative, anxiety-modulating, neuroprotective, and analgesic effects have been reported for isolated bisabolol.

animal isolated terpene reference

Preclinical, isolated-compound findings; not demonstrated for a cannabis product in humans.

Body research1 claim

Anti-inflammatory, skin-soothing, antimicrobial, gastroprotective, and wound-healing activity is under investigation for isolated bisabolol.

animal isolated terpene reference

Under investigation; much is preclinical and topical, not internal cannabis-product evidence.

Recognized non-cannabis use1 claim

Widely incorporated into topical products for sensitive or irritated skin · cosmetics, baby products, after-sun, and dermatologic formulations.

approved use non-cannabis product reference

Unproven / insufficient1 claim

No approved internal treatment exists. Its recognized use is topical skin care, not an internal medicine.

unproven isolated terpene reference

Myth vs evidence

The topical-to-internal leap

The claim

Bisabolol really is a recognized skin-soother in cosmetics, so lore assumes a bisabolol-rich product must calm you from the inside too. That leap is not earned.

The evidence

Bisabolol’s skin-soothing use in topical products is recognized. That a bisabolol-containing cannabis product calms or heals you internally is not established · topical evidence is not internal evidence.

unprovenwhole cannabisreference

Where it sits

Alpha-Bisabolol against the field

Objective chemistry and how often it shows up · not effects. Every authored terpene is plotted on each track; Alpha-Bisabolol is lit, the rest stay faint. The picture fills in as the Atlas grows (10 plotted so far).

Dominant aroma family

Its strongest sensory class, brightest to deepest.

citrus earthy

Alpha-Bisabolol

Prevalence in cannabis

How often it leads a profile. Qualitative, not measured.

rare common

Alpha-Bisabolol

Volatility · boiling point

Lower boils off sooner, reading as an earlier top note.

more volatile less volatile

Alpha-Bisabolol

Molecular weight

C10 monoterpenes are lighter than the C15 sesquiterpenes.

lighter heavier

Alpha-Bisabolol

Read as a table

Terpene	Dominant aroma family	Prevalence in cannabis	Volatility · boiling point	Molecular weight
Myrcene	Earthy	very common	167 °C	136 g/mol
Limonene	Citrus	very common	176 °C	136 g/mol
Pinene	Pine	common	155 °C	136 g/mol
Linalool	Floral	common	198 °C	154 g/mol
Beta-Caryophyllene	Spice	very common	262 °C	204 g/mol
Alpha-Humulene	Herbal	moderate	270 °C	204 g/mol
Terpinolene	Fresh	moderate	186 °C	136 g/mol
Ocimene	Fruity	uncommon	177 °C	136 g/mol
Alpha-Bisabolol this page	Floral	uncommon	314 °C	222 g/mol
Nerolidol	Woody	uncommon	276 °C	222 g/mol

Prevalence is a qualitative ordinal, not a measured concentration. Boiling points are approximate atmospheric-pressure values; the heavier sesquiterpenes are usually distilled under vacuum, so those figures are extrapolated.

Terpene neighborhood

Sensory & structural relatives

Nerolidol A fellow sesquiterpene alcohol with a soft, floral character. α-Bisabolene Its hydrocarbon relative. β-Bisabolene A close structural relative.

On a certificate of analysis

How it shows up on a COA

Name variants a lab may print

Bisabolol · α-Bisabolol · alpha-Bisabolol · Levomenol

Isomer note

Panels list ‘bisabolol’; the natural (-)-levomenol form is most common.

Reading it

Reported as a percentage of product mass; absence from a panel can reflect the lab’s method or detection limit, not true absence. Batch values swing widely.

A terpene’s absence from a panel can reflect the panel’s method or detection limit · not true absence. Values swing batch to batch.

In products

Commonly reported · never guaranteed

Soft, chamomile-leaning chemovars

strainCommonly reported with bisabolol present · but a strain name does not guarantee the profile across growers, harvests, or batches.

Find products rich in Alpha-Bisabolol Search live TerpAlerts menus for this terpene Compare terpene profilesPut two products side by side

Safety & handling

Read this before you trust a label

Pure terpene isolates are concentrated industrial chemicals · not the trace amounts in flower. Do not ingest undiluted isolates or apply them to skin without an appropriate dilution.

safety non-cannabis product reference

A product’s terpene panel cannot reliably predict an individual’s response or calm. Cannabinoid dose, route, tolerance, other medications, and personal biology usually matter more.

safety whole cannabis reference

Bisabolol and its oxides both contribute to chamomile’s softness; heat and air shift the balance between them over time.

established isolated terpene reference

◆THC and other cannabinoids usually influence intoxication more than any single terpene.

◆A terpene panel cannot reliably predict an individual patient’s response.

◆Pure isolates are concentrated industrial chemicals · not the trace amounts in flower.

◆Oxidation, heat, storage, and processing alter terpene chemistry.

◆Strain names do not guarantee a stable terpene profile across growers, harvests, or batches.

◆Discuss any cannabis decision, and other medications, with a qualified clinician.

Explore

Alpha-Bisabolol, three ways

Same molecule, three lenses. The information is identical in every mode.

Keep exploring

Where to next

← Terpene Atlas indexAll terpenes Find productsLive menus rich in Alpha-Bisabolol Compare profilesTwo products, side by side

Previous
← Ocimene Next
Nerolidol →

Sources (3)

TerpAlerts Cannabis Terpene Reference Guide reference
PubChem CID 442343 · (-)-α-Bisabolol (levomenol) PubChem
Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa (PMC5371325) PMC

Last reviewed 2026-07-22 · TerpAlerts editorial

Educational information only · not medical advice, and not a claim that any cannabis product treats, cures, or prevents any condition. Evidence labels describe the strength and scope of research on the isolated compound. See the full site disclaimer and Privacy Policy.