In short
cis-3-Hexenyl benzoate is the benzoate ester of leaf alcohol. It joins a soft green note to a balsamic floral one and lasts far longer than leaf alcohol itself.
What cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate smells like
Cis-3-hexenyl benzoate is a mild, green-herbaceous material with a woody, balsamic undertone. Arctander describes it as mild but tenacious, green-herbaceous and woody, and notes that as a green material it is much weaker than the esters of the lower aliphatic acids. Bedoukian lists green, herbaceous, floral and woody; other sources add a gentle floral, orchid-like note, and IFF describes it as only slightly green with a mild herbaceous quality.
- Leading note
- Mild green-herbaceous
- Supporting facets
- Woody, balsamic
- Faint facets
- Orchid-like floral
- Character
- Mild, soft, green, tenacious
What makes cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate distinctive
It is a green that lasts rather than one that strikes: mild, woody and balsamic where the light leaf esters are sharp and fleeting, so it carries a soft greenness into the heart and base.
Where the descriptions disagree: Bedoukian and others call it floral; IFF describes only a slight green, mild herbaceous quality.
How cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate is used
Used as a soft, tenacious green modifier and blender in floral and fresh compositions, where it extends greenness without the sharpness of the lighter esters.
Typical role: blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate differs from similar materials
- cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
- Arctander notes the benzoate is much weaker than the lower-acid esters such as the acetate; it is mild and tenacious, where the acetate is sharp, fruity and brief. (compared directly by a cited source)
- cis-3-Hexenyl Salicylate
- The salicylate is fresher and more floral, with a lily-of-the-valley note; the benzoate is milder, more herbaceous and woody.
- Hexyl Benzoate
- Hexyl benzoate is woodier and sappier, like cut cypress twigs; the cis-3-hexenyl ester is green-herbaceous with an orchid-like floral note.
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
Stable in most bases.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Green / Floral
- Note position
- Heart to base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- CAS number
- 25152-85-6
- Molecular formula
- C13H16O2
- Molecular weight
- 204.26 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- [(Z)-hex-3-enyl] benzoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5367706, 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 (1,593 of 1,661 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
-
cis-3-Hexenyl Salicylate
Aroma chemical · Green / Floral — green, leafy, balsamic, floral
-
Hexyl Salicylate
Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — green, floral, herbal
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 3 published formulas
cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate
Is cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate 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 cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate?
25152-85-6. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate?
cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate is used in 3 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Cut Stem Atelier, Honeysuckle Base and Linden Afternoon. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 5367706, 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 — cis-3-hexenyl benzoate (with Bedoukian, IFF and Robertet descriptions) — odour database.
- S. Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Chemicals (1969), as quoted by The Good Scents Company — published perfumery reference.
- ChemicalBook — cis-3-hexenyl benzoate (CAS 25152-85-6) — odour database.
- 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.