Short answer
Lily of the valley (muguet) gives no usable natural extract, so its scent in perfumery has always been an accord of synthetic materials — fresh, green, watery-floral. For decades its backbone was a few aldehydes: hydroxycitronellal, butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial) and hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (HICC, Lyral). The last two are now prohibited in EU cosmetics and HICC also by IFRA, and hydroxycitronellal is a restricted, declarable allergen. Modern muguet accords therefore combine hydroxycitronellal within its limits, newer muguet aldehydes and alcohols from the fragrance manufacturers, rose and floral alcohols, and green and citrus touches.
Why muguet is an accord by necessity
The flower is too delicate for extraction to give a commercial material. That made muguet an early showcase for aroma chemicals, and it still is: the accord is built entirely from materials chosen for their fresh, dewy, slightly green floral character. The general method is in fragrance accords explained.
The materials that changed
| Material | Character | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroxycitronellal | Soft, sweet, lime-blossom muguet | EU-listed allergen; subject to an IFRA Standard; still usable within limits |
| Butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial) | Fresh, watery muguet | Prohibited in EU cosmetics (Regulation (EU) 2021/1902) |
| HICC (Lyral) | Soft, sweet muguet | Prohibited in EU cosmetics (Regulation (EU) 2017/1410) and by IFRA |
If you hold old formulas that use Lilial or Lyral, they need reformulating for any market where the materials are prohibited. Finding them is a where-used search; see how to find every formula that uses a material. The allergen list is in the fragrance allergens list.
Building a modern muguet
An illustrative structure — no proportions given, because the materials available to you will differ:
- A muguet core of newer muguet aldehydes or alcohols sold by fragrance manufacturers as replacements, plus hydroxycitronellal within its limits.
- Floral alcohols — citronellol, phenylethyl alcohol, linalool — for body; see how to make a rose accord for these materials.
- Green and watery accents — a trace of cis-3-hexenol or another green material, a fresh "ozonic" aldehyde; see green notes in perfumery.
- A little Hedione for air, and a soft musk to extend it.
Replacement materials rarely smell identical to Lilial or Lyral; matching an old accord usually needs a blend and several rounds of comparison. A triangle test shows whether the new version is distinguishable.
Checking replacements
- Confirm each replacement's status in every market and under the current IFRA Standards; regulatory status of aldehydes has been changing.
- Check its documents for allergens and classification.
- Test stability: muguet aldehydes can oxidize and react like other aldehydes; see aldehydes in perfumery.
- Record the reformulation as a new version with the reason.
Where muguet is used
Muguet is a classic fine-fragrance floral, but its fresh, clean character also made it a staple of soaps, detergents and functional products, where the prohibited materials were once very common. Formulas for those products were affected just as much. White florals and other floral families are mapped in perfume materials by odor family.
Sources
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1902, checked October 9, 2026 (link format).
- IFRA — IFRA Standards, checked October 9, 2026.
Reformulating an old muguet
If you are replacing Lilial or Lyral in an existing formula, work in a fixed order. First, find every formula that uses them, including premixes. Second, smell the old accord and the replacement candidates side by side at the same dilution, and note which facet of the old material each candidate covers — watery freshness, sweet softness, floral body. Third, build a replacement blend and swap it in at an equivalent effect, not an equivalent weight. Fourth, compare old and new versions blind at several time points, and recheck allergens and restrictions for the new materials. Record the reformulation as a new version with the reason, so anyone reading the history knows why the formula changed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a natural lily of the valley oil?
Not a commercial one. Products sold as "lily of the valley oil" are fragrance compositions.
Are Lilial and Lyral banned in the US?
Check current US and state rules and the IFRA Standards: IFRA prohibits HICC, and many brands that sell internationally have removed both materials everywhere.
Written and reviewed by the RUŌOD Lab team. This article is general education about perfume formulation and record-keeping; it is not legal, regulatory or safety advice, and the examples are illustrations, not validated commercial formulas. How we write and check these guides.