Database/Perfuming/Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate natural?

No. The green 'cut grass' note is made synthetically; both halves of the ester are petrochemical.

INCI nameCis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
CAS3681-71-8
FormulaC8H14O2 · 142.20 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockSynthetic cis-3-hexenol and petrochemical acetic acid.

How we scored it

Commercial cis-3-hexenol is synthesised (acetylene / butyne chemistry, petrochemical) and acetic acid is petrochemical by this site's convention, so no atom of the ester is natural origin: 0.0. Natural leaf-alcohol from mint distillation is a niche source, not a commercially significant route.
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

Synthetic cis-3-hexenol and petrochemical acetic acid.

In plain English

A fragrance ingredient with a sharp, green cut-grass scent used in perfumes. Made by combining a mostly synthetically produced 'leaf alcohol' with acetic acid.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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Structure

2D structure of Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate

[(Z)-hex-3-enyl] acetate

PubChem CID 5363388 ↗

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. 2Cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate. PubChem CID 5363388. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CIS-3-HEXENYL ACETATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CIS-3-HEXENYL ACETATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CIS-3-HEXENYL%20ACETATE