Fragrance allergen

Amyl cinnamal

Amyl cinnamal, also sold as jasmine aldehyde, is a pale yellowish liquid with a strong, sweet floral smell that suggests jasmine. It is made by chemical synthesis from benzaldehyde and heptanal. It is used extensively to perfume soap, and it is one of the older fragrance allergens that EU rules name on labels.

Formula
C14H18O
Molar mass
202.3 g/mol
CAS
122-40-7

Where it comes from

Amyl cinnamal is made by aldol condensation of benzaldehyde with n-heptanal, using a catalyst. The Good Scents Company lists natural occurrence only in soybean and black tea. The IFRA Standard document lists a Schiff base of amyl cinnamal with methyl anthranilate, sold as Jasmea or Seringone.

Smell and use

A strong floral smell reminiscent of jasmine, described as sweet, floral, fruity, tropical and green with a powdery nuance. Another description adds oily and herbal tones. Good Scents rates its odour strength as medium.

Amyl cinnamal supplies a jasmine-like floral note. Reference works list its uses simply as perfumery and flavouring, and one notes it is used extensively to perfume soap products. In the EU cosmetic ingredient inventory its listed function is masking. It belongs to a family of alpha-alkyl cinnamaldehydes that includes butyl, hexyl, heptyl and methyl versions.

On the label

Named on 6% of the 6,851 perfume ingredient lists we hold (377 perfumes).

EU
Annex III, entry 67. Must be named above 0.001% in leave-on products (0.01% rinse-off).
Great Britain
Required, same thresholds. GB Annex III
Patch tests
In Fragrance Mix I, a standard skin-clinic panel.

The SCCS opinion SCCS/1459/11 puts amyl cinnamal on List A, the fragrance chemicals it judges the most frequently reported, well-recognised consumer allergens. It is one of the ingredients of Fragrance Mix I, a European patch-test screen. IFRA has a Restriction Standard (Amendment 49, 2020) with limits by product category. ECHA notifications summarised by PubChem mostly carry H317.

A list that does not name it does not prove it is absent: brands only have to name it above the threshold.

Frequency by concentration

  • Eau de parfum 5% of 4,898
  • Eau de toilette 6% of 1,227
  • Extrait 6% of 341
  • Parfum 5% of 191
  • Cologne 19% of 108
  • Body spray 7% of 42
  • Other 11% of 27

Share of the perfumes we hold a list for, in each concentration.

Named alongside

Share of the lists naming Amyl cinnamal that also name each of these.

Perfumes whose box names it

Common questions

Is amyl cinnamal the same as jasmine aldehyde?

Yes. Jasmine aldehyde, jasminal and flomine are among the names given as synonyms for amyl cinnamal (alpha-amylcinnamaldehyde, CAS 122-40-7). It is synthesised from benzaldehyde and heptanal.

What does amyl cinnamal smell like?

It smells strongly floral and jasmine-like, with sweet, fruity and slightly green tones and a powdery touch. Good Scents rates its odour strength as medium and lists substantivity of 256 hours for the undiluted material.

Why is amyl cinnamal on my perfume label?

It is one of the fragrance allergens the EU has required to be named for many years. When it is present above 0.001 per cent in a leave-on product it must be listed by name, even though the fragrance as a whole is just "parfum".