Melonal

What Melonal smells like

Melonal (Givaudan) is a powerful green aldehyde that smells of melon and cucumber. Givaudan's description is powerful, green, melon, cucumber; Symrise describes a green melon note with a hint of ozone. Other descriptions stress a watery, dewy, cool effect with a crisp, not-yet-ripe character rather than sugary fruit — closer to the pale rind of a watermelon than to its flesh. It is very powerful and is usually diluted to 1% or less.

Leading note

Green melon

Clear facets

Cucumber

Supporting facets

Watery

Faint facets

Ozonic

Character

Green, watery, cool, crisp

• melon
• watery
• green
• fresh

What makes Melonal distinctive

Underripe melon rind rather than sweet flesh: green, cool and watery, with an aldehydic freshness that makes it a building block of aquatic and fresh compositions.

Concentration and dilution

Very powerful; it is usually diluted to 1% or less for use.

How Melonal is used

Used as a top note in fresh, aquatic and fruity compositions for a watery melon-cucumber effect.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend); lift (adds diffusion and radiance, especially at the top).

How Melonal differs from similar materials

cis-6-Nonenol

cis-6-Nonenol is sweeter, waxier honeydew flesh; Melonal is greener and cooler, an underripe rind note with an ozonic hint.

Calone

Calone is marine and sea-breeze first, with watermelon in the background; Melonal is green melon and cucumber first, with only a hint of ozone.

Methoxymelonal

Methoxy melonal is ozonic, watery and muguet-like with little fruit; Melonal is clearly green melon and cucumber.

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

Strong; dose carefully.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Synthetic

Odour family

Aquatic / Fruity

Note position

Top note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

2,6-Dimethyl-5-heptenal

CAS number

106-72-9

Molecular formula

C9H16O

Molecular weight

140.22 g/mol

IUPAC name

2,6-dimethylhept-5-enal

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 61016, 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 classify it (1,898 reports): H226 flammable liquid and vapor (86.6% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (11.2% of reports). 5 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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

• Calone

  Aroma chemical · Aquatic / Metallic — marine, watermelon, ozonic, watery

• Helional

  Aroma chemical · Aquatic / Floral — ozonic, watery, green, floral

• 2,6-Nonadienal

  Aroma chemical · Green / Aquatic — cucumber, green, violet leaf, watery

Melonal is also suggested as a partner on the pages for cis-6-Nonenal, cis-6-Nonenol and Methoxymelonal.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 3 published formulas

Melonal is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.

Community formulas

• Pumpkin Accord

  Community Formula · Accord

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

• Honeydew Static

  RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Melonal 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG

• Reef Light

  RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Melonal 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG

Further reading

• Aquatic and Marine Notes in Perfumery

  The materials behind aquatic, marine and ozonic perfumes — Calone, watery aldehydes, dihydromyrcenol — and how to build and dose an aquatic accord.

Questions about Melonal

Sources

• PubChem — compound 61016, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• Perflavory (The Good Scents Company) — Melonal (with Givaudan and Symrise descriptions) — odour database.
• Premiere Peau — Melonal — published perfumery reference.
• Scent.vn — Melonal — 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.