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Methyl Isoeugenol

Q: Is Methyl Isoeugenol natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by methylation of isoeugenol (itself derived from eugenol, which comes from clove oil). Straightforward synthesis..

SPICES / spicy · clove · woody

Methyl Isoeugenol

Category	SPICES
Subcategory	spicy · clove · woody
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — synthetic (naturally occurs in Ocimum basilicum, Pimenta racemosa)
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow liquid with a sweet spicy-clove odor
Producing Countries	China, Europe, India
Pyramid	Heart

Warm, spicy-clove with a sweet, slightly floral quality. Methyl isoeugenol is eugenol's gentler cousin — less sharp, more clean, with a carnation-like sweetness.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, spicy-sweet, gently clove-like with carnation-floral undertones. Softer than eugenol, more clean than isoeugenol, with a subtle vanillic sweetness. Less sharp, more rounded. On blotter, the warm-spicy character is persistent and evolves gently into a sweet-balsamic dry-down.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Warm, spicy-sweet opening. Clove-carnation character.

After a few hours

Elegant spice heart. Vanillic-balsamic warmth deepens.

After a few days

Persistent warm-spicy base. Sweet, gentle fade.

The Full Story

CAS 93-16-3. A phenylpropanoid obtained by methylation and isomerization of eugenol. Methyl isoeugenol has a warm, spicy-sweet character that is softer and more floral than eugenol itself. It provides the spicy-sweet quality of clove and carnation without the aggressive phenolic bite.

The scent is warm, gently spicy, with a sweet, almost vanillic quality and carnation-like floral undertones. It reads as 'restrained spice' rather than 'kitchen spice.' The molecule is used in carnation (oeillet) accords and warm-spicy compositions where eugenol would be too raw.

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?

Methyl isoeugenol has been used as an attractant for fruit flies in agricultural pest management — the Amber fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is powerfully attracted to this molecule, which is used in traps across tropical fruit-growing regions.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by methylation of isoeugenol (itself derived from eugenol, which comes from clove oil). Straightforward synthesis.

Molecular Formula	C11H14O2
CAS Number	93-16-3
Botanical Name	N/A — synthetic (naturally occurs in Ocimum basilicum, Pimenta racemosa)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	4-Propenylguaiacol, Isoeugenol methyl ether
Physical Properties
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow liquid with a sweet spicy-clove odor
Boiling Point	262.00 to 264.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	> 220.00 °F. TCC ( > 104.44 °C. )
Specific Gravity	1.04700 to 1.05500 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.56500 to 1.57000 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point	16.00 to 17.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Heart modifier in carnation, spicy-floral, and amber compositions. Methyl isoeugenol provides restrained spice character — clove-carnation without aggression. It is used in oeillet bases, warm-floral compositions, and as a spicy modifier in amber structures. Pairs with eugenol, rose, and balsamic materials.