CIS-3-Hexenol

✦ Naturally occurring green alcohol found in freshly cut grass, crushed leaves, and unripe fruit — one of nature's most recognizable scent molecules
✦ Delivers an intensely vivid fresh-cut grass and crushed leaf effect at extremely low usage rates due to its very low odor threshold
✦ Essential modifier for floral, aquatic, fougere, chypre, and aromatic fragrance families — adds lift, naturalness, and transparency
✦ Featured in iconic fragrances including Chanel No. 19, Davidoff Cool Water, Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, and countless floral green compositions
✦ Functions as a top-to-mid note — provides a fresh green opening that softens into a dewy, natural character as it dries down
✦ Versatile across applications — fine fragrance, functional fragrance, personal care, candles, and reed diffusers all benefit from its use
✦ Vegan and cruelty-free — synthetically produced to match the natural isolate, ensuring consistency and ethical sourcing

CIS-3-Hexenol, also called Leaf Alcohol, is a six-carbon aliphatic alcohol that occurs naturally in the leaves of most green plants. It is biosynthesized when plant tissue is damaged — released instantly when a lawn is mowed, a stem is snapped, or a leaf is crushed. The compound was first isolated and characterized in the early twentieth century and has since become one of the most commercially important aroma chemicals in the fragrance industry. Its presence in nature is universal, making it one of the most universally recognized scent molecules in human experience.

What sets CIS-3-Hexenol apart from other green materials is the precision of its naturalness. Unlike many green aroma chemicals that can smell harsh, chemical, or one-dimensional, Leaf Alcohol has a softness and roundness that mimics nature almost perfectly. Its extremely low odor threshold — detectable at concentrations measured in parts per billion — means that even trace additions to a formula produce a dramatic and convincing green effect. This power and naturalness combined make it a uniquely efficient and expressive ingredient in a perfumer's palette.

Rabibazaar supplies cosmetic-grade CIS-3-Hexenol suitable for DIY perfumers, professional fragrance blenders, cosmetic formulators, and home crafters who demand authentic green naturalism in their formulations.

SCENT DESCRIPTION : CIS-3-Hexenol opens with a sharp, green, intensely fresh blast of just-cut grass and crushed leaves — vivid and almost startlingly natural. It carries a dewy, slightly fruity undertone reminiscent of unripe green apple skin and fresh garden herbs. As it evolves, the sharpness softens into a quieter, earthy leafy character with a faint metallic edge that gives it transparency and depth. The overall impression is outdoor, botanical, and alive — a green note that feels genuinely plucked from nature rather than constructed in a laboratory.

NOTE POSITION : Top to Mid

FRAGRANCE FAMILY : Green · Aromatic · Aquatic

FACETS : Fresh-cut grass · Crushed leaf · Dewy · Green apple · Earthy botanical

TENACITY : Medium — perceptible for 2 to 4 hours in isolation; longer when anchored in a blend

SILLAGE : Medium — projects well at opening due to volatility but settles into a close, naturalistic skin effect

Chemical Name : (Z)-Hex-3-en-1-ol
CAS Number : 928-96-1
Synonyms : Leaf Alcohol · cis-3-Hexen-1-ol · (Z)-3-Hexen-1-ol · 3-Hexenol · Green Leaf Alcohol
Purity % : 98% minimum (fragrance grade)
Appearance : Clear, colorless to very pale yellow mobile liquid
Odor Threshold : 0.07 to 0.1 ppb (extremely low — use with precision)
Solubility : Slightly soluble in water · Fully miscible in ethanol, DPG, IPM, and most fragrance carriers
Specific Gravity : 0.847 to 0.852 at 20°C
Flash Point : Approximately 70°C (158°F)
Type : Semi-synthetic (nature-identical, produced via chemical synthesis to match the natural isolate)

Fine Fragrance ★★★★★
CIS-3-Hexenol is an essential top note modifier in fine fragrance. It creates the green opening burst in floral, chypre, aquatic, and fougere compositions. Even at 0.1% it transforms a blend — adding immediacy, naturalness, and outdoor freshness that synthetic alternatives rarely match.

Attar and Oriental Blending ★★★★☆
In attar and oriental compositions, Leaf Alcohol is used strategically as a counter-balance to heavy resins and musks. A small dose lifts dark bases and adds a fresh green contrast that makes oriental blends feel alive and wearable rather than heavy. It pairs beautifully with oud, vetiver, and rose bases.

Functional Fragrance ★★★★☆
In shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and deodorants, CIS-3-Hexenol delivers an instant perception of cleanliness and freshness. Consumers associate its green grass character with being outdoors and clean. It is widely used in functional fragrance compounds for personal care at low, safe concentrations.

Cosmetics ★★★☆☆
In creams, lotions, and skin products, Leaf Alcohol adds a subtle fresh green note that enhances light botanical or floral fragrance themes. Usage rates must remain low to avoid potential sensitization and to prevent the sharp opening note from overpowering delicate cosmetic formulas.

Home Fragrance ★★★★★
Reed diffusers and candles benefit enormously from CIS-3-Hexenol as a fresh green modifier. It creates an instant garden or outdoor atmosphere and blends naturally with floral, woody, and clean fragrance types. It helps home fragrance products feel natural and botanical rather than synthetic.

RECOMMENDED USAGE RATES

Application : Suggested Use Level
EDP : 0.5 to 2.0%
EDT : 0.3 to 1.5%
Body Lotion : 0.1 to 0.5%
Shampoo/Body Wash : 0.1 to 0.4%
Candle : 0.5 to 2.0%
Reed Diffuser : 1.0 to 3.0%
Soap (rinse-off) : 0.1 to 0.5%

IFRA 51ST AMENDMENT LIMITS (selected categories)

IFRA Category 1 (Lip Products) : 0.10%
IFRA Category 2 (Deodorant) : 0.60%
IFRA Category 3 (Eye Area) : 0.20%
IFRA Category 4 (Fine Fragrance) : No restriction listed — use responsibly
IFRA Category 5 (Body Lotion) : 1.00%
IFRA Category 9 (Rinse-off Body) : 1.00%
IFRA Category 11 (Fabric) : 0.60%

⚠ CIS-3-Hexenol has a very low odor threshold — always weigh precisely and avoid overdosing
⚠ Skin sensitization is possible at high concentrations — stay within IFRA guidelines for leave-on products
⚠ Highly volatile — add last in blending sequence to minimize evaporation loss
⚠ Verify current IFRA limits at ifrafragrance.org before commercial production

METHOD 1 — Dilution Before Use
CIS-3-Hexenol is extremely powerful due to its near-zero odor threshold. Always pre-dilute to 10% in DPG or IPM before adding to a blend. This gives you far greater control and prevents accidental overdosing, which results in a harsh, one-note green effect that is difficult to correct.

METHOD 2 — Green Top Note Modifier
Add CIS-3-Hexenol to the top note section of your formula at 0.1 to 0.5% of the total formula weight. It amplifies the freshness and naturalness of floral and aquatic accords without changing the heart or base. Use it as a transparency tool rather than a dominant character note.

METHOD 3 — Naturalistic Booster for Synthetics
When working with synthetic green materials like Styrallyl Acetate, Hedione, or Dihydromyrcenol that can smell slightly chemical, a micro-dose of CIS-3-Hexenol (0.05 to 0.1%) instantly naturalizes the composition. This technique is used by professional perfumers to give synthetic accords a believable natural texture.

BEST PAIRINGS

Violet Leaf Absolute → Deepens and darkens the green effect into a cold, watery, stemmy character
Hedione HC → Creates a luminous dewy-floral accord reminiscent of jasmine in morning dew
Iso E Super → Adds a woody transparent backdrop that grounds the volatile green opening
Geranium Essential Oil → Builds a natural green-rosy garden accord with herbal depth
Benzyl Acetate → Produces a classic fresh floral green effect ideal for jasmine-type blends
Cedarwood Atlas → Softens the sharpness and adds a woody dry-down to the green accord
Lemon Terpenes → Amplifies citrus freshness alongside the green for a bright outdoor accord

AVOID

Avoid combining CIS-3-Hexenol at high concentrations with heavy phenolic materials like eugenol or isoeugenol as the contrast is jarring and unpleasant. Also avoid high concentrations in strongly alkaline soap bases as some degradation and discoloration is possible.

I consider CIS-3-Hexenol one of the most deceptively simple ingredients in the palette. It smells like a single thing — cut grass — yet its effect on a composition is complex and structural. When I add even 0.05% to a floral heart, the entire blend suddenly feels outdoor, alive, and dimensional. It is not just a scent note — it is a light source. It illuminates other ingredients and makes them feel three-dimensional in a way that is very difficult to achieve with any other material. I have seen formulators dismiss it as a raw, unsophisticated chemical, and they are always wrong. The key is restraint. At the right dose it is invisible and invaluable. At the wrong dose it is overwhelming and irreversible.

ADVANCED TIP — In oriental and oud-based compositions, try adding CIS-3-Hexenol at 0.03 to 0.08% of total formula weight directly into the base accord rather than the top note section. At this trace level it does not read as green at all — instead it creates a mysterious, slightly living, botanical tension beneath the resin and wood that gives the composition an unusual naturalistic depth. This is a technique borrowed from classical French perfumery where green modifiers are buried in the base to create what perfumers call a vert profond — a deep hidden greenness.

Physical State : Clear colorless mobile liquid at room temperature
Skin Safety : Use within IFRA limits — potential sensitizer at high concentrations in leave-on products — always patch test
Eye Contact : Avoid direct contact — rinse thoroughly with clean water for 15 minutes if contact occurs — seek medical advice if irritation persists
Ingestion : Not for consumption — if swallowed seek immediate medical attention — keep out of reach of children
Ventilation : Work in a well-ventilated area — vapors are potent due to extremely low odor threshold — use in open or ventilated workspace
Storage : Store tightly sealed in a cool, dark location away from heat and direct sunlight — ideal temperature 10 to 20°C
Shelf Life : 12 to 24 months from manufacture date when stored correctly — susceptible to oxidation if repeatedly exposed to air
Container : Store in glass or HDPE — avoid PET and PVC containers — keep headspace minimal to reduce oxidation
Flammability : Combustible liquid — flash point approximately 70°C — keep away from open flames and ignition sources

Q: How much CIS-3-Hexenol should I use in a perfume blend?
A: Start at 0.05 to 0.2% of your total formula weight. This ingredient has an extremely low odor threshold and a tiny amount creates a dramatic effect. Overdosing produces an unpleasant, harsh, one-dimensional grass note that is very difficult to correct.

Q: Can I use CIS-3-Hexenol directly without dilution?
A: It is strongly recommended to pre-dilute it to 10% in DPG or IPM before adding to blends. Undiluted use makes accurate measurement nearly impossible at the micro-dosing levels required for good results.

Q: Is CIS-3-Hexenol safe for skin products like lotions and body wash?
A: Yes, within IFRA guidelines. Keep it at or below 1% in leave-on products and below 1% in rinse-off applications. Always perform a patch test and follow the latest IFRA 51st Amendment limits for your specific product category.

Q: Will CIS-3-Hexenol hold up in soap or candles?
A: In candles and reed diffusers it performs well at 0.5 to 2%. In cold-process soap it can partially degrade in high-pH environments, and some top note freshness will be lost — account for this in your formula by using a slightly higher rate or pairing it with more stable green materials.

Q: How does CIS-3-Hexenol compare to Violet Leaf Absolute for green effects?
A: CIS-3-Hexenol is a bright, warm, freshly cut grass note — immediate, volatile, and sunny. Violet Leaf Absolute is colder, darker, more aquatic and metallic with a watery stem character. They are complementary rather than interchangeable. Violet Leaf adds depth and coldness while CIS-3-Hexenol adds warmth, brightness, and immediacy. Many perfumers use both together for a complete green accord.

Professional formulation workflow

CIS-3-Hexenol should be evaluated in a controlled small batch before production. Confirm the supplied grade, active concentration and recommended application range from the current supplier documentation. Weigh accurately instead of measuring by drops, record every adjustment, and compare the modified trial against an unchanged control.

Compatibility and quality checks

Test the ingredient in the actual alcohol, oil, surfactant, emulsion or wax base intended for sale. Observe clarity, separation, color, odor and performance immediately after mixing and again after a suitable resting period. A material that looks stable in a concentrate can behave differently in the finished formulation.

Scale-up and safety

Convert percentages into exact batch weights and verify the final consumer-product concentration before scaling. Follow the latest applicable IFRA, cosmetic, chemical and supplier safety documentation for the intended category. Use appropriate protective equipment, ventilation and clearly labeled containers, and retain a sample from every approved batch for quality comparison.