Database/Perfuming/Cinnamyl Alcohol
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Cinnamyl Alcohol natural?

It depends. Occurs in balsams and cassia oil but commodity fragrance-grade material is chiefly synthesised.

INCI nameCinnamyl Alcohol
CAS104-54-1
FormulaC9H10O · 134.17 Da
FunctionPerfuming · Flavouring
FeedstockMost commercial cinnamyl alcohol is synthesised from petrochemical…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
petrochemical synthesisbenzaldehyde (petrochemical)0.00majority of commercial supply
natural isolationstorax/Peru balsam, cassia oil1.00minority, premium natural perfumery
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Route A: isolated from storax/cassia oil (minor) = 1.0. Route B: synthesised from petrochemical benzaldehyde (dominant) = 0.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Most commercial cinnamyl alcohol is synthesised from petrochemical benzaldehyde via Cannizzaro/Tishchenko-type chemistry for large-scale fragrance use. A smaller natural-origin share is isolated from styrax/Peru balsam or cassia oil.

In plain English

A fragrance ingredient with a sweet, floral-balsamic scent, found in trace amounts in cinnamon and balsam but mostly produced synthetically for commercial fragrance use.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Abies Alba Leaf Oil 100% natural origin

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 Abies Balsamea Needle Extract 100% natural origin

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Structure

2D structure of Cinnamyl Alcohol

(E)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-ol

PubChem CID 5315892 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Cinnamyl Alcohol. PubChem CID 5315892. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CINNAMYL ALCOHOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CINNAMYL ALCOHOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CINNAMYL%20ALCOHOL