Is Lettuce natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Lettuce

AccordGREENS, HERBS & FOUGERESfresh · green · aquatic

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

2Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Lactuca sativa

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Watery-green, crisp, and almost flavorless. The smell of iceberg lettuce: mineral water, pale green, and the particular crunch of leaves with nothing to say.

GREEN FRESH

Lactuca sativa, salad greens

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Aromatic
Subfamily: Green notes
Cluster: Green leafy notes
Source: leaves and flowering tops
Chemical class: fantasy note (accord)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Europe North America

Scent

Watery, pale-green, and almost nothing. Like splitting an iceberg lettuce head in half -- the cool, mineral-water freshness, the faintest green, and a barely perceptible milky quality from the sap. A deliberate whisper in a world of shouts.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

The Full Story

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the mildest aromatic experiences in the vegetable world. Its scent is barely perceptible: a watery-green freshness, a faint mineral quality, and the latex-milky undertone from lactucarium (the milky sap for which Lactuca is named).

In perfumery, lettuce is a fantasy accord capturing this deliberate blandness as an aesthetic choice. The note provides a specifically crisp, watery, near-absence-of-smell that contrasts with the intensity of most perfumery materials.

Built from transparent green notes (cis-3-hexenol at very low levels), watery-mineral elements, and clean musks. Used in avant-garde, minimalist, and deliberately quiet compositions.

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Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Not extracted for perfumery. Fantasy accord.

Formula: Complex mixture — lactucin C₁₅H₁₆O₅, lactucarium components
CAS: N/A — natural extract (lactucarium)
Botanical: Lactuca sativa
Appearance: Dark brown to black resinous material (lactucarium)
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: Lactuca sativa, salad greens

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: Lactucarium = dried latex of Lactuca virosa; rarely used in perfumery

In Perfumery

Accent note in minimalist, watery-green, and deliberately quiet compositions. Functions as a near-absence element. Built from trace green notes, mineral-watery accords, and clean musks.

Role in the formula

01signature note

02blender

03volume builder

04freshness

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note