GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / green · fresh · earthy
Chlorophyll
Category
GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory
green · fresh · earthy
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
N/A — green pigment found in all photosynthetic plants
Appearance
Dark green waxy solid to powder
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
Extracted globally from green plant matter
Pyramid
Heart
Crushed stem, raw leaf juice, the iron-tinged green of a freshly mown lawn. Chlorophyll in perfumery is the smell of photosynthesis itself -- vegetal, slightly metallic, alive.
Raw, juicy green -- the smell of crushed stems and torn leaves before any single plant character emerges. Sharper than basil, less bitter than galbanum, with a faintly metallic, almost bloody quality (from the iron in chlorophyll's breakdown products). This is green at its most elemental: a lawn mower, a snapped stem, a handful of grass.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sharp, raw green burst -- crushed stems, torn leaves, metallic
After a few hours
After a few hours
Green fades rapidly, faint grassy sweetness remains
After a few days
After a few days
Virtually absent -- extremely volatile molecules
The Full Story
Chlorophyll itself -- the magnesium-porphyrin pigment responsible for photosynthesis -- has no significant odour. What perfumery calls 'chlorophyll' is the complex of volatile compounds released when plant cells rupture: cis-3-hexenol (leaf alcohol), cis-3-hexenal (leaf aldehyde), trans-2-hexenal, and various related C6 aldehydes and alcohols known collectively as green leaf volatiles (GLVs).
These GLVs are produced enzymatically within seconds of tissue damage -- the same biochemical cascade triggered by mowing grass, tearing herbs, or crushing leaves. The scent is universal across the plant kingdom: nearly all green plants produce the same core molecules. In perfumery, 'chlorophyll' is shorthand for this hyper-green, freshly-cut-plant impression.
The note functions as a top-note green modifier. It provides an immediate, raw vegetal impact -- greener than galbanum (which is also resinous), sharper than violet leaf (which is also powdery). Key synthetic materials: cis-3-hexenol (leaf alcohol), cis-3-hexenyl acetate (leaf acetate), cis-3-hexenyl salicylate. The note dissipates quickly due to high volatility.
This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
The 'freshly cut grass' smell is actually a plant distress signal. Cis-3-hexenal and cis-3-hexenol are released within seconds of tissue damage and serve to attract predatory insects that feed on herbivores attacking the plant -- a chemical SOS call.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Chlorophyll the pigment is not extracted for perfumery. The green-leaf volatile profile is achieved synthetically: cis-3-hexenol (CAS 928-96-1), cis-3-hexenyl acetate (CAS 3681-71-8), and related C6 green-leaf compounds.
Molecular Formula
C₅₅H₇₂MgN₄O₅ (Chlorophyll a) · C₅₅H₇₀MgN₄O₆ (Chlorophyll b)
CAS Number
1406-65-1
Botanical Name
N/A — green pigment found in all photosynthetic plants
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
GREEN PIGMENT
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
Dark green waxy solid to powder
Melting Point
150-153 °C (chlorophyll a)
In Perfumery
Chlorophyll in perfumery refers to green leaf volatiles (GLVs), not the pigment itself. It functions as a top-note green modifier providing raw, freshly-cut-plant character. Key molecules: cis-3-hexenol (leaf alcohol), cis-3-hexenyl acetate, trans-2-hexenal. The note is greener and rawer than galbanum or violet leaf, but highly volatile with minimal tenacity. Essential in green, aquatic, and fresh compositions for immediate vegetal impact.
