[1] Farnesol is present in many essential oils such as citronella, neroli, cyclamen, lemon grass, tuberose, rose, musk, balsam, and tolu.

Farnesol and its ester derivatives are important precursors for a variety of other compounds used as fragrances and vitamins.

[3] The pyrophosphate ester of farnesol is the building blocks of possibly all acyclic sesquiterpenoids.

These compounds are doubled to form 30-carbon squalene, which is the precursor for steroids in plants, animals, and fungi.

Farnesol is used by the fungus Candida albicans as a quorum sensing molecule that inhibits filamentation.