In short
Cinnamyl acetate is the acetate ester of cinnamyl alcohol, found in cassia oil. It has a sweet, balsamic-floral odour with a mild spice.
What Cinnamyl Acetate smells like
Cinnamyl acetate has a characteristic balsamic-floral odour; The Good Scents Company lists sweet, floral, spicy and balsamic, and notes that the natural ester is more delicate, hyacinth-jasmine-like. A supplier finds it at home in hyacinth, narcissus and honeysuckle accords, adding sweet warmth to florals without cinnamic aldehyde's harshness; a glossary finds it fruitier and less floral than cinnamyl alcohol. Its taste is burning and sweet, reminiscent of pineapple.
- Leading note
- Sweet balsamic floral
- Supporting facets
- Hyacinth, mild cinnamon
- Faint facets
- Fruity, green
- Character
- Warm, sweet, soft
What makes Cinnamyl Acetate distinctive
Cinnamon gentled into a flower: a warm, sweet balsamic floral without the spice's bite.
How Cinnamyl Acetate is used
Used in hyacinth, narcissus, honeysuckle and spicy-floral compositions, and in fruit and cinnamon flavours.
Typical role: blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How Cinnamyl Acetate differs from similar materials
- Cinnamyl Alcohol
- A glossary finds the acetate fruitier and less floral than cinnamyl alcohol, which is the softer, hyacinth-balsamic note. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Benzyl Cinnamate
- Benzyl cinnamate is a faint, creamy fixative; cinnamyl acetate is a clearly perceptible warm, sweet floral.
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.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Floral / Spicy
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- 3-Phenylprop-2-enyl acetate
- CAS number
- 103-54-8
- Molecular formula
- C11H12O2
- Molecular weight
- 176.21 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- [(E)-3-phenylprop-2-enyl] acetate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5282110, 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 (1,571 of 1,638 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
-
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Spicy — balsamic, floral, hyacinth, sweet
-
Cinnamaldehyde
Aroma chemical · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot
-
Benzyl Cinnamate
Aroma chemical · Amber / Gourmand — balsamic, sweet, faint
-
Phenylethyl Alcohol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — rose, honeyed, soft, floral
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 11 published formulas
Cinnamyl Acetate is an ingredient in 6 perfume formulas and 5 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Cinnamyl Acetate
Is Cinnamyl Acetate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Cinnamyl 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 Cinnamyl Acetate?
103-54-8. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Cinnamyl Acetate?
Cinnamyl Acetate is used in 11 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Apple Cellar, Banana Bread and Cherry Blossom Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 5282110, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- ChemicalBook — cinnamyl acetate (CAS 103-54-8) — odour database.
- The Good Scents Company — cinnamyl odour category — odour database.
- Premiere Peau — Cinnamyl acetate — published perfumery reference.
- Fraterworks — cinnamyl acetate — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.