Алтея

Althaea officinalis is a temperate marsh plant native to the coastal wetlands of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. It is not a perfumery raw material. The root contains 5–35% mucilaginous polysaccharides — useful in cosmetics and traditional medicine, irrelevant to fragrance. TGSC classifies the root extract (CAS 73049-65-7) as ‘not for fragrance use.’ The plant’s volatile profile, analysed by HS-SPME/GC-MS (Ilam Province, Iran, 2022), is dominated by tetradecane (22.5%), alpha-pinene (15.5%), hexadecane (10.5%), 2-hexenal (8.5%), and dodecane (7.3%) — an alkane-heavy, scentless-to-waxy composition with zero perfumery utility.

The Fantasy Accord

When a perfume lists ‘marshmallow’ in its notes, the material is a synthetic accord designed to carries the confection, not the plant. The accord is typically built from ethyl maltol (CAS 4940-11-8, the caramelised-sugar molecule), vanillin or ethyl vanillin, a powdery white musk (often ethylene brassylate or helvetolide), and a trace of benzoin or coumarin for balsamic warmth. Some formulators add heliotropin (CAS 120-57-0) for a powdery-almond quality. The result is a soft, pillowy sweetness — airy rather than dense — that reads as edible without the heaviness of pure vanilla.

Naming Confusion

The connection between the plant and the confection is historical, not aromatic. French confiseurs of the early 19th century whipped the root’s mucilaginous sap with sugar and egg white to produce pâte de guimauve. By the mid-20th century, gelatin replaced the plant entirely. Modern marshmallows contain no Althaea. The perfumery note, in turn, contains no marshmallow — it is a double remove from the plant that gave it its name.

CAS Clarification

CAS 73049-65-7 corresponds to Althaea officinalis (marshmallow) extracts. CAS 90045-76-4, sometimes erroneously attributed to this entry, belongs to Althaea rosea (hollyhock) — a different species entirely.

Related Notes

See also: Ethyl Maltol, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Benzoin.