alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde

What alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde smells like

alpha-Methyl cinnamaldehyde is a spice-and-cinnamon note with sweet, warm balsamic nuances, in a perfumery listing; its taste is spicy, cinnamon, sweet and woody, with a slightly pungent, hot bite. Beside the sweeter, candy-like cinnamaldehyde it reads as more balsamic and woody, though no source compares the two directly. Foreverest, which makes it, describes a warm, spicy-sweet, cinnamon-like aromatic aldehyde for personal-care, household and candle fragrances.

Leading note

Warm cinnamon

Supporting facets

Balsamic, woody, sweet

Character

Warm, soft, sweet

• cinnamon
• spicy
• sweet
• balsamic

What makes alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde distinctive

A softer, more balsamic cinnamon: the spice without cinnamaldehyde's candy sharpness.

How alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde is used

Used in spicy, oriental and balsamic compositions and in cinnamon flavours.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde differs from similar materials

Cinnamaldehyde

Cinnamaldehyde is sharper and more candy-like; the alpha-methyl derivative is softer, more balsamic and woody.

Cinnamyl Nitrile

Cinnamyl nitrile is more powerful, with cassia and a hint of cumin; the alpha-methyl aldehyde is a softer, balsamic cinnamon.

Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Covered by an IFRA Standard; check the limit for your product category.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Synthetic

Odour family

Spicy / Resinous

Note position

Heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

2-Methyl-3-phenylprop-2-enal

CAS number

101-39-3

Molecular formula

C10H10O

Molecular weight

146.19 g/mol

IUPAC name

(E)-2-methyl-3-phenylprop-2-enal

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5372813, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde:

• "alpha-Methyl cinnamic aldehyde" — Restriction, 49th Amendment, published 2020-01

Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.

Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,826 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (99.7% of reports). A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

• Cinnamaldehyde

  Aroma chemical · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot

• Cinnamyl Alcohol

  Aroma chemical · Floral / Spicy — balsamic, floral, hyacinth, sweet

• Eugenol

  Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm

• Vanillin

  Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Cola Amber

  RUŌOD House Original · listed as “alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG

Further reading

• Spicy Notes in Perfumery: Warm and Fresh Spices

  Warm and fresh spice materials, their key constituents, why cinnamon and clove are closely restricted, and how to build warmth within the limits.

Questions about alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde

Sources

• PubChem — compound 5372813, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
• The Good Scents Company — alpha-methyl cinnamaldehyde — odour database.
• Parchem — alpha methyl cinnamic aldehyde — distributor's description.
• Foreverest — alpha-methylcinnamaldehyde — manufacturer's description.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.