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Dimethyl Benzyl Carbinyl Acetate

Q: Is Dimethyl Benzyl Carbinyl Acetate natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Fully synthetic. Produced by Grignard reaction or Friedel-Crafts acetylation. Straightforward synthesis, large-scale production. No natural source..

FLOWERS / floral · fruity · powdery

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · fruity · powdery
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A - synthetic molecule
Appearance	white to pale yellow crystalline solid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	N/A — synthesized industrially
Pyramid	Heart

Fresh, green-floral with a clean, slightly fruity lift. DMBCA smells like a freshly opened lily-of-the-valley bouquet — crisp, dewy, with a subtle sweetness.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Clean, fresh, green-floral. Immediately bright and dewy. A crisp quality similar to of lily-of-the-valley — lighter and more transparent than jasmine, fresher than rose. Subtle fruity undertone adds sweetness without heaviness. Short-to-moderate tenacity — a top-to-heart material that fades cleanly.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Bright, fresh green-floral burst. Dewy and clean.

After a few hours

Floral heart — lily-of-the-valley character. Subtle fruit sweetness.

After a few days

Clean, quick fade. Light residue. Top-note material.

The Full Story

CAS 151-05-3. Also known as DMBCA or alpha,alpha-dimethylphenethyl acetate. A synthetic ester common in muguet (lily-of-the-valley) and fresh-floral accords. The molecule provides clean, floral freshness with a green, slightly fruity character.

The scent is light, fresh, and distinctly floral — brighter and more diffusive than many natural florals. It has a crisp, dewy quality with a subtle green-fruity undertone. The material is one of several key molecules in muguet reconstructions (alongside hydroxycitronellal, linalool, and lyral), providing the clean, fresh-green top note.

DMBCA is a cost-effective, stable molecule that performs well in a wide range of compositions. It is used heavily in functional fragrances (detergents, air fresheners) as well as in fine perfumery.

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

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) produces almost no extractable essential oil — the flowers are so small and volatile-poor that natural muguet absolute is essentially non-existent commercially. Molecules like DMBCA allow perfumers to recreate a scent that nature makes almost impossible to capture.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Fully synthetic. Produced by Grignard reaction or Friedel-Crafts acetylation. Straightforward synthesis, large-scale production. No natural source.

Molecular Formula	C12H16O2
CAS Number	151-05-3
Botanical Name	N/A - synthetic molecule
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	DMBK ACETATE · 3 · 3-DIMETHYL-2-BENZYL-2-BUTANOL ACETATE
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	44 hour(s) at 20.00 % in dipropylene glycol
Appearance	white to pale yellow crystalline solid
Boiling Point	250.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	207.00 °F. TCC ( 97.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.99500 to 1.00200 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.49000 to 1.49500 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point	29.50 to 31.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Top-to-heart modifier in muguet, fresh-floral, and green compositions. DMBCA provides clean, diffusive floral freshness. It is a standard component of lily-of-the-valley accords, where it contributes the crisp, dewy top note. Also used to brighten and freshen heavier floral compositions. The molecule's stability and cost-effectiveness make it popular in both fine fragrance and functional applications.