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Syringa

Q: Is Syringa natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Natural absolute by solvent extraction is extremely rare. Most lilac in perfumery is reconstructed synthetically..

FLOWERS / floral · sweet · powdery

Syringa

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · sweet · powdery
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Syringa vulgaris L.
Appearance	Dark green to brown viscous liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Europe
Pyramid	Heart

Lilac-sweet, cool, green-floral. Syringa (lilac) has a recognizable spring scents: clean, cool sweetness with green-violet undertone from indole and terpineol.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Cool, sweet, green-floral. Less warm than jasmine, less narcotic than tuberose, more complex than violet. A clean sweetness with underlying coolness from terpineol.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Cool sweet-floral burst, green and fresh

After a few hours

Linalool-terpineol heart, gentle indolic depth

After a few days

Faint sweet-green trace, spring-like

The Full Story

Syringa vulgaris (common lilac) produces a beloved spring fragrances. Sweet-floral from linalool, cool-green from terpineol, faintly indolic from trace indole. Despite popularity, lilac absolute is rare and expensive due to very low oil content.

Lilac scent is difficult to reproduce because it depends on precise balance of many molecules at low concentrations. Key components: linalool, alpha-terpineol, indole (trace), lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol.

In perfumery, lilac is primarily reconstructed from hydroxycitronellal, terpineol, linalool, heliotropin, and trace indole.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol were first identified in lilac headspace analysis. These unique molecules are not found in any other common flower, which is why lilac scent is so hard to replicate.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Natural absolute by solvent extraction is extremely rare. Most lilac in perfumery is reconstructed synthetically.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture — key components: lilac aldehyde, lilac alcohol, benzaldehyde
CAS Number	68916-92-7
Botanical Name	Syringa vulgaris L.
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	LILAC
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Dark green to brown viscous liquid
Specific Gravity	0.94900 to 0.96100 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.47900 to 1.48300 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Heart note in spring and fresh-floral compositions. Key molecules: linalool, alpha-terpineol, lilac aldehydes, trace indole. Natural absolute is rare. Typically reconstructed.