Cyclamen Aldehyde

✦ Fresh watery-floral aroma chemical with a luminous green cyclamen flower character and dewy transparency
✦ Exceptional diffusivity — opens compositions with bright lift and projects a clean, modern floral presence
✦ Widely used in fine fragrance, functional fragrance, hair care, and household products
✦ Known material in classic floral, aquatic, and fougère compositions across many designer and commercial perfumes
✦ IFRA 51st Amendment registered — subject to QRA-based limits in skin-contact categories; use within recommended rates
✦ 100% synthetic origin — vegan, cruelty-free, consistent batch to batch
✦ Soluble in alcohol and standard fragrance carriers; ideal for EDP, EDT, body spray, and diffuser applications

Cyclamen Aldehyde is a synthetic aroma chemical first developed by fragrance chemists seeking to capture the elusive scent of the cyclamen flower, a delicate Mediterranean bloom with a clean, watery, and faintly green-floral character. Despite its common name, it is not a true aldehyde by chemical classification — it is an aromatic aldehyde-adjacent compound whose diffusive, radiant quality led early perfumers to group it informally with the classical aldehyde materials. Since its introduction, it has become one of the most enduring floral-fresh synthetics in the perfumer's palette, deployed across decades of commercial fine fragrance.

What makes Cyclamen Aldehyde genuinely distinctive is its ability to function as a transparent structural note — it does not crowd a composition or impose a heavy presence, but instead amplifies the materials around it, lending lift, luminosity, and a sense of freshness. It sits comfortably between a fresh green accord and a clean floral heart, making it unusually versatile in bridging different fragrance families. A small percentage can transform an otherwise heavy oriental or musky base into something noticeably more wearable and modern, and it remains a go-to material for formulators building aquatic, ozonic, or clean-white floral accords.

Rabibazaar supplies cosmetic-grade Cyclamen Aldehyde suitable for fine fragrance, functional personal care products, home fragrance, and all manner of DIY formulation work by both beginner crafters and professional formulators.

SCENT DESCRIPTION : Cyclamen Aldehyde opens with a burst of dewy, watery freshness that immediately evokes freshly cut stems and damp green petals after rain. The core character is a clean, powdery-floral radiance — not sweet or heavy, but bright and luminous, with a soft ozonic shimmer underneath. As it dries down it reveals a subtle anisic-green undertone and a powdery trail that feels simultaneously natural and crystalline. It is one of the few aroma chemicals capable of making a fragrance smell washed, lit-up, and alive.

NOTE POSITION : Top-Mid

FRAGRANCE FAMILY : Fresh Floral · Aquatic/Ozonic · Powdery Floral

FACETS : Watery · Dewy · Green-Floral · Powdery · Luminous

TENACITY : Medium — projects well for 3 to 5 hours; moderate substantivity on skin

Chemical Name : 2-Methyl-3-(4-isopropylphenyl)propanal
CAS Number : 103-95-7
Synonyms : Cyclamal, Lily Aldehyde, p-Isopropyl-alpha-methylhydrocinnamaldehyde, Cyclamen Aldehyde
Purity : 97% minimum (cosmetic/fragrance grade)
Appearance : Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Threshold : Approximately 0.004 ppm — detectable at extremely low concentrations
Solubility : Insoluble in water; freely soluble in ethanol, DPG, IPM, and most fragrance carrier oils
Specific Gravity : 0.946 – 0.952 at 25°C
Flash Point : Approximately 91°C (196°F)
Type : Synthetic

Fine Fragrance : ★★★★★
Cyclamen Aldehyde is a staple of fine fragrance formulation, particularly in fresh-floral, aquatic, and fougère constructions. It adds the characteristic clean, dewy lift that modern consumers associate with premium personal fragrance. Even at 0.5 to 2%, it dramatically raises the perceived freshness and radiance of a composition.

Attar & Oriental Blending : ★★★★
In attar and oriental formulations, Cyclamen Aldehyde functions as a freshening counterpoint to heavier resinous, woody, or animalic materials. Adding 0.5 to 1% to a dense oud or amber base opens the composition and adds a sense of airiness without destroying its depth. It is not a traditional attar material but is now widely used in modern interpretations.

Functional Fragrance : ★★★★★
Cyclamen Aldehyde excels in functional fragrance — deodorants, body washes, shampoos, fabric conditioners, and household cleaners. Its clean, fresh-laundry-adjacent quality makes it one of the most requested materials in this segment. It is stable across a range of pH values typical in rinse-off and wash-off systems.

Cosmetics & Body Care : ★★★★
It performs well in lotions, creams, and leave-on body products at IFRA-compliant levels. The watery-fresh character integrates naturally with skin-care formulations. IFRA restrictions apply to leave-on skin products, so formulators must calculate usage via QRA.

Home Fragrance : ★★★★★
In reed diffusers, room sprays, and wax melts, Cyclamen Aldehyde delivers exceptional performance. Its high diffusivity and low odor threshold mean small amounts go a long way. It anchors fresh-floral and clean-linen accords effectively at low usage cost.

RECOMMENDED USAGE RATES

Application : Suggested Use Rate
EDP (Eau de Parfum) : 2.0 – 6.0%
EDT (Eau de Toilette) : 1.0 – 4.0%
Body Lotion / Cream : 0.3 – 0.8% (IFRA restricted — verify QRA)
Shampoo / Body Wash : 0.5 – 1.5%
Bar Soap : 0.5 – 1.0%
Reed Diffuser : 5.0 – 15.0%
Candle (soy/paraffin) : 3.0 – 6.0%

IFRA 51ST AMENDMENT LIMITS (Key Categories)

IFRA Category 1 (Lip products) : 0.01% — use not recommended
IFRA Category 3 (Eye/facial cosmetics) : 0.1%
IFRA Category 4 (Fine fragrance — on skin) : Verify via QRA calculation
IFRA Category 5A (Body lotion, leave-on) : Verify via QRA calculation
IFRA Category 7A (Rinse-off hair products) : Verify via QRA calculation
IFRA Category 9 (Rinse-off body products) : Verify via QRA calculation
IFRA Category 11A (Candles) : Not restricted
IFRA Category 10A (Household sprays) : Verify via QRA calculation

⚠ Cyclamen Aldehyde is a recognised skin sensitiser. IFRA limits are QRA-derived and vary by product type and usage scenario. Always calculate your specific usage level against IFRA 51st Amendment guidelines before production. Do not exceed category limits in leave-on skin-contact applications.
⚠ Consult the IFRA 51st Amendment database at ifrafragrance.org for current category-specific limits before formulating for commercial sale.

METHOD 1 — Direct Addition to Alcohol Base
Dissolve Cyclamen Aldehyde directly in perfumer's alcohol (or a DPG/alcohol blend) before adding other materials. Because of its high diffusivity, add it at the end of your build to prevent olfactory domination during evaluation. Start at 0.5% and adjust upward in 0.25% increments.

METHOD 2 — Pre-Dilution in DPG for Fine Control
At full strength, Cyclamen Aldehyde's intensity can be difficult to evaluate accurately in small test batches. Pre-dilute to a 10% solution in DPG (dipropylene glycol) before use. This gives you precise control at the bench and makes small-batch blending far more repeatable.

METHOD 3 — As a Brightness Modifier in Heavy Bases
Add 0.3 to 0.8% Cyclamen Aldehyde to dense oriental, oud, or resinous bases to introduce perceived lightness and freshness. It does not strip depth from the composition — it creates a contrast that makes the heavy materials read as more refined and wearable.

BEST PAIRINGS

Iso E Super → Adds a cedarwood-woody radiance that grounds the floralcy and extends tenacity
Hedione → Creates a transparent jasmine-aquatic heart with exceptional lift and naturalistic feel
Dihydromyrcenol → Intensifies the fresh, clean, laundry-ozonic character for functional fragrance work
Linalool → Smooths and softens the green facets; excellent in skin-friendly floral accords
Galaxolide → The musk extends Cyclamen Aldehyde's sillage trail beautifully into a clean, powdery dry-down
Hydroxycitronellal → Adds soft muguet character alongside the watery-floral facets for classic white-floral accords
Citronellol → Brings a natural rosy-green dimension that complements the cyclamen effect
Ambroxan → Warm, skin-like base that anchors the fresh floralcy into a longer-lasting, modern signature

AVOID
Avoid combining at high levels with strong phenolic or smoky materials (Eugenol, Guaiacol) — the contrast is jarring and the phenolics tend to suppress the fresh quality. Also avoid very high concentrations of heavy musks like Musk Ketone, which can dull the luminosity that makes Cyclamen Aldehyde valuable.

When I reach for Cyclamen Aldehyde, I am usually solving a very specific problem — a composition that smells closed-in, dense, or flat. There is a particular kind of synthetic freshness that this material delivers which is genuinely hard to replicate any other way: it does not smell aquatic like Calone, it does not smell citrusy like a top note, and it does not smell green like hexenol. It smells like a flower that exists between states — neither fully watery nor fully powdery — and that ambiguity is exactly what makes it so structurally useful. I have used it in attars, in functional body washes, and in high-end EDPs, and in every context it earns its place. The quantity almost never needs to be large — 0.5% is often enough to shift the entire character of a formula.

ADVANCED TIP : Try combining Cyclamen Aldehyde with Hydroxycitronellal and a small fraction of Linalool oxide (at around 0.1%) to construct a highly naturalistic muguet-cyclamen accord. The Hydroxycitronellal delivers the soft white-floral sweetness of lily of the valley, while the Cyclamen Aldehyde provides the watery-green lift and the Linalool oxide adds a faintly earthy, slightly camphoraceous depth that mimics the way real muguet smells when you bury your nose close to the stems. This accord can be used as a standalone heart at 8 to 12% in an EDT or woven into a larger floral composition as a sub-accord.

Physical State : Clear to pale yellow liquid at room temperature
Skin Safety : Known skin sensitiser — stay within IFRA 51st Amendment QRA limits; patch test recommended for leave-on products
Eye Contact : Irritant — avoid eye contact; if contact occurs, flush thoroughly with clean water for 15 minutes and seek medical advice
Ingestion : Not for internal use; if ingested accidentally, do not induce vomiting — seek immediate medical attention
Ventilation : Use in a well-ventilated workspace; avoid prolonged inhalation of concentrated vapour
Storage : Store in a tightly sealed amber glass or HDPE container away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity
Shelf Life : 24 to 36 months from date of manufacture when stored correctly; inspect for colour change or off-note before use
Container : Amber glass preferred; avoid PVC or reactive plastics for long-term storage
Flammability : Combustible liquid — flash point approximately 91°C; keep away from open flames and high heat sources

Q: What does Cyclamen Aldehyde smell like?
A: It has a clean, dewy, fresh-floral character that evokes the cyclamen flower — watery, slightly powdery, and luminous. It is not sweet or fruity; it reads as fresh, modern, and transparent.

Q: Is Cyclamen Aldehyde a real aldehyde?
A: No. Despite its name, Cyclamen Aldehyde is not a true aliphatic aldehyde like the classic C-series aldehydes. It is an aromatic compound with an aldehyde functional group, but it does not behave in the same soapy-waxy way as C-10 or C-12 aldehydes. The name is historical, not strictly chemical.

Q: What is the safe usage rate for skin-contact products?
A: Cyclamen Aldehyde is IFRA-restricted due to its sensitisation potential. Usage rates in leave-on products are QRA-calculated and category-specific. In fine fragrance (leave-on), verify limits via IFRA 51st Amendment; in rinse-off products, slightly higher levels are permitted. Always calculate before production.

Q: Can I use Cyclamen Aldehyde in candles and reed diffusers?
A: Yes, it performs very well in both applications. In candles, use between 3 and 6% in your fragrance load. In reed diffusers, 5 to 15% in the total blend is effective. There are no IFRA restrictions for leave-in air-care applications (Category 11), making it straightforward to use in home fragrance.

Q: How does Cyclamen Aldehyde compare to using real cyclamen flower extract?
A: True cyclamen flower absolute or extract is rarely available commercially at scale and is prohibitively expensive. Cyclamen Aldehyde is a synthetic material that captures the defining watery-green-floral character of the flower with excellent reliability and batch consistency. It is not a full reconstruction — real cyclamen flower has many more facets — but for practical formulation purposes it delivers the essential quality effectively and safely at a fraction of the cost.

Professional formulation workflow

Cyclamen Aldehyde 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.