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Borage

Q: Is Borage natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: No standard perfumery extraction. Borage seed oil (cold-pressed) is used in cosmetics but is nearly odorless. The aromatic note is a synthetic or concept reconstruction using cucumber aldehyde (2,6-nonadienal)..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / green · floral · fresh

Borage

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	green · floral · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Top Note
Botanical	Borago officinalis
Appearance	dark green clear liquid
Odor Strength	Low
Producing Countries	Mediterranean
Pyramid	Top

Cool, green, distinctly cucumber. Borage smells exactly like its taste — fresh sliced cucumber with a metallic-mineral edge and a faint herb-garden background.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Pure cucumber-green, crisp and cool. A metallic-mineral edge distinguishes it from simple cucumber water — there is something harder, more angular underneath the vegetal freshness. Faintly herbal in the background, but the cucumber dominates completely.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Crisp cucumber-green, metallic-mineral, cool

After a few hours

Green freshness softens, herbal background emerges

After a few days

Faint green residue, clean, almost vanishes

The Full Story

Borage (Borago officinalis) is an annual herb native to the Mediterranean, known for its vivid blue star-shaped flowers and its pronounced cucumber flavor and scent. The fresh leaves and flowers, when crushed, release a crisp, green, unmistakably cucumber-like aroma.

The volatile chemistry is relatively simple: cucumber aldehyde (2,6-nonadienal) dominates, accompanied by green-leaf alcohols (cis-3-hexenol) and traces of fatty aldehydes. There is a faint metallic-mineral quality, like a copper coin held in a wet hand.

Borage is not a major perfumery material. No widely traded essential oil exists specifically for fragrance use (borage seed oil is important in cosmetics for its gamma-linolenic acid content, but it is nearly odorless). The scent contribution is conceptual — a way to introduce cucumber-green freshness with an herbal context.

The plant self-seeds aggressively in gardens and is one of the best bee-attracting plants in the herb garden. The flowers are edible and frequently used as garnish — frozen in ice cubes, floated in gin and tonic, or candied.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Nuit Elastique. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alpha Pinene · Angelica · Angelica Root · Angelica Root Oil · Artemisia · Barrenwort · Beachheather · Behini Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Borage was the 'herb of courage' in medieval England — soldiers drank borage-infused wine before battle. The Latin name may derive from corago (cor, heart + ago, I bring), meaning 'I bring heart.' Modern research shows borage contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are mildly hepatotoxic with chronic consumption.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No standard perfumery extraction. Borage seed oil (cold-pressed) is used in cosmetics but is nearly odorless. The aromatic note is a synthetic or concept reconstruction using cucumber aldehyde (2,6-nonadienal).

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture — chief constituent: gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) C₁₈H₃₀O₂
CAS Number	225234-12-8
Botanical Name	Borago officinalis
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	STARFLOWER · BORAGE HERB
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Low
Lasting Power	Low
Appearance	dark green clear liquid
Specific Gravity	0.92000 to 0.94000 @ 25.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Concept note providing cucumber-green freshness with herbal context. No widely traded essential oil for perfumery use. The scent is reconstructed using cucumber aldehyde and green-leaf accords. Useful in garden, herbal, and fresh-green compositions. Provides a cooler, more mineral alternative to generic green notes.