In short
Methyl cinnamate is an ester found in strawberry and basil. It has a sweet, fruity-balsamic strawberry note.
What Methyl Cinnamate smells like
Methyl cinnamate is a sweet, balsamic ester with a strawberry character; Sigma-Aldrich lists balsam, fruity and strawberry, and a fragrance source says it smells strongly of strawberry and cherry with a sweet balsamic punch. It occurs naturally in strawberries. Beside ethyl cinnamate it is the strawberry-leaning one.
- Leading note
- Balsamic strawberry
- Supporting facets
- Cherry
- Faint facets
- Cinnamic spice
- Character
- Sweet, balsamic, warm
What makes Methyl Cinnamate distinctive
Strawberry in a balsamic, cinnamic frame — the strawberry note of the cinnamate esters.
How Methyl Cinnamate is used
Used in strawberry and red-fruit accords and in balsamic, oriental compositions, and in flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Methyl Cinnamate differs from similar materials
- Ethyl Cinnamate
- Ethyl cinnamate is rounder and more honeyed, with cinnamon and plum; methyl cinnamate leans strawberry and cherry. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16)
- Strawberry aldehyde is sweeter and jammier; methyl cinnamate is more balsamic and cinnamic.
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
A low-melting solid.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Fruity / Amber
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- CAS number
- 103-26-4
- Molecular formula
- C10H10O2
- Molecular weight
- 162.18 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- methyl (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 637520, 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 (1,745 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (82.9% of reports). 298 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
-
Furaneol
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Fruity — strawberry, caramel, jammy, sweet
-
Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16)
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — strawberry, candy, fruity, sweet
-
Raspberry Ketone
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — raspberry, fruity, sweet, jammy
Methyl Cinnamate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Ethyl Cinnamate.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 4 published formulas
Methyl Cinnamate is an ingredient in 3 accords and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Further reading
Questions about Methyl Cinnamate
Is Methyl Cinnamate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Methyl Cinnamate 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 Methyl Cinnamate?
103-26-4. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Methyl Cinnamate?
Methyl Cinnamate is used in 4 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Cherry Accord, Peony Accord and Raspberry Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 637520, 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 — methyl cinnamate — odour database.
- Fraterworks — methyl cinnamate — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Methyl cinnamate — published perfumery reference.
- 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.