In short
Bornyl acetate is the acetate ester of borneol and a key constituent of fir and pine needle oils. It gives the sweet, balsamic smell of conifer needles.
What Bornyl Acetate smells like
Bornyl acetate is the pine-needle ester of the fir and spruce oils. The Good Scents Company lists laevo-bornyl acetate as sweet, balsamic, woody, fresh, pine needle and herbal, and places bornyl acetate under balsamic and camphoraceous. It is the main constituent of Siberian fir and black spruce oils and contributes to Scots pine.
- Leading note
- Sweet pine needle
- Clear facets
- Balsamic
- Supporting facets
- Camphoraceous
- Faint facets
- Herbal
- Character
- Fresh, sweet, soft
What makes Bornyl Acetate distinctive
The fir-needle note: sweet and balsamic where the pinenes are sharp.
How Bornyl Acetate is used
Used in pine-needle, fir and conifer accords, in fougères, and in functional products.
Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Bornyl Acetate differs from similar materials
- Isobornyl Acetate
- Isobornyl acetate, its isomer, is described as more camphor-like, pine needle and hemlock; bornyl acetate is sweeter and more balsamic.
- Siberian Fir Needle Oil
- Siberian fir is largely bornyl acetate, with camphene and alpha-pinene adding freshness. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Borneol
- Borneol, its alcohol, is drier and more angular, camphor-pine; bornyl acetate is the sweeter, softer pine-needle note.
- Black Spruce Oil
- Black spruce owes its balsamic, camphor-cool lift to bornyl acetate, adding a sweet-oily, slightly fruity undertone. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Valerian Root Oil
- Valerian's main ester is bornyl acetate; the oil adds isovaleric acid's cheesy, sweaty character. (compared directly by a cited source)
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Bornyl acetate and isobornyl acetate are different isomers with different CAS numbers; record which you use.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Woody
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- endo-Bornyl acetate
- CAS number
- 76-49-3
- Molecular formula
- C12H20O2
- Molecular weight
- 196.29 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- [(1S,2R,4S)-1,7,7-trimethyl-2-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanyl] acetate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 93009, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory report it as not meeting the GHS hazard criteria (1,557 of 1,557 reports). 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
-
Isobornyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Woody — pine, coniferous, balsamic, fresh
-
Siberian Fir Needle Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — fir, balsamic, sweet, fresh
-
Scots Pine Needle Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — pine, resinous, fresh, balsamic
-
Borneol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Woody — camphoraceous, earthy, piney, woody
Bornyl Acetate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for alpha-Pinene, Balsam Fir Needle Oil, Black Spruce Oil, Camphene, Dwarf Pine Oil and Fenchyl Acetate.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Bornyl Acetate is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Bornyl Acetate
Is Bornyl Acetate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Bornyl Acetate may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Bornyl Acetate?
76-49-3. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Bornyl Acetate?
Bornyl Acetate is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Cypress Bathhouse and Pine Tar Sauna. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 93009, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — fir needle flavour category (laevo-bornyl acetate) — odour database.
- The Good Scents Company — fir needle odour category — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.