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Cinnamic Alcohol

Q: Is Cinnamic Alcohol natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by reduction of cinnamaldehyde. Found naturally in cinnamon bark oil, styrax, and hyacinth absolute, but not commercially isolated from natural sources. Inexpensive synthetic production..

SPICES / balsamic · floral · warm

Cinnamic Alcohol

Category	SPICES
Subcategory	balsamic · floral · warm
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — occurs naturally in Cinnamomum spp.; primarily synthesized
Appearance	White to pale yellow crystalline solid or oily liquid
Producing Countries	China, France, Germany, India
Pyramid	Heart

Warm, balsamic-floral with a soft cinnamon-hyacinth quality. Cinnamic alcohol is cinnamyl alcohol by another name — gentle spice wrapped in a floral sweetness.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, balsamic-spicy opening with a clear floral-hyacinth quality. More floral than hot, more powdery than sharp. Softer than cinnamaldehyde, warmer than linalool, gentler than eugenol. A clean, slightly green undertone adds freshness. The dry-down is powdery-balsamic, warm, and pleasant.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Soft warm-spice opening with floral-hyacinth sweetness.

After a few hours

Balsamic-powdery heart. Spice softens. Floral quality deepens.

After a few days

Warm, powdery-balsamic base. Clean fade.

The Full Story

CAS 104-54-1. This is another name for cinnamyl alcohol (3-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol). A phenylpropenol found naturally in cinnamon bark, storax, Peru balsam, and hyacinth flowers. The molecule provides a warm, balsamic, floral-spicy character that is softer and more rounded than cinnamaldehyde.

The scent is gently spicy-balsamic with a pronounced floral quality — hyacinth-like, powdery, warm. It lacks the aggressive heat of cinnamaldehyde and instead offers a rounded, approachable warmth. The molecule is one of the 26 EU-listed fragrance allergens.

In perfumery, cinnamic alcohol bridges floral and spicy categories. It is used in hyacinth reconstructions, amber compositions, and soft-spicy accords where warmth without pungency is the goal.

This note in Première Peau. Insuline Safrine · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Allspice · Anethole · Anise · Asafoetida · Baking Spices · Bay Leaf · Biryani · Caraway

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Cinnamic alcohol is identical to cinnamyl alcohol — the dual naming reflects historical chemical nomenclature. 'Cinnamic' refers to the cinnamic acid/cinnamate family; 'cinnamyl' specifies the alcohol derivative. Both names are in active use, depending on the supplier.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by reduction of cinnamaldehyde. Found naturally in cinnamon bark oil, styrax, and hyacinth absolute, but not commercially isolated from natural sources. Inexpensive synthetic production.

Molecular Formula	C9H10O
CAS Number	104-54-1
Botanical Name	N/A — occurs naturally in Cinnamomum spp.; primarily synthesized
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Cinnamyl alcohol, 3-Phenyl-2-propen-1-ol
Physical Properties
Appearance	White to pale yellow crystalline solid or oily liquid
Boiling Point	247.00 to 250.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity	1.04400 @ 20.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.58190 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point	34.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Heart modifier in floral-spicy, amber, and hyacinth compositions. Cinnamic alcohol provides gentle cinnamon warmth with floral sweetness — ideal for compositions where spice is a supporting character rather than the lead. Central to hyacinth accords alongside florhydral and phenylacetaldehyde. Also used in soft amber and balsamic compositions. EU-listed allergen requiring label declaration.