In short
1-Octen-3-ol, called mushroom alcohol, is the compound most responsible for the smell of fresh mushrooms. It also occurs in lavender and some mints and is used in traces.
What 1-Octen-3-ol smells like
Oct-1-en-3-ol, mushroom alcohol, smells unmistakably of raw mushroom and earth. Sigma-Aldrich lists green, mushroom, oily and earthy, and notes it is the most prominent odour volatile produced by many fungi. Perfumery descriptions add metallic and slightly fatty undertones. It is extremely potent — detectable at around a part per billion in air — and the natural form found in edible mushrooms is reported to be the more characteristically mushroom-like of its two mirror-image forms.
- Leading note
- Raw mushroom
- Clear facets
- Earthy
- Supporting facets
- Green, metallic
- Faint facets
- Oily
- Character
- Earthy, damp, raw, potent
What makes 1-Octen-3-ol distinctive
It is the mushroom itself — the defining volatile of fungi — rather than a green note that suggests earth.
Concentration and dilution
Extremely potent; it is used in traces, from a dilution.
How 1-Octen-3-ol is used
Used in traces to give realism to green, forest-floor, damp-soil and mushroom accords, and in mushroom flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How 1-Octen-3-ol differs from similar materials
- cis-3-Hexenyl Tiglate
- The tiglate is a green, floral-fruity ester with a hint of fresh mushroom; oct-1-en-3-ol is raw mushroom and earth outright.
- 1-Octen-3-one
- 1-Octen-3-one is the ketone: more intense and markedly metallic; the alcohol is the rounder mushroom.
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
Extremely diffusive; overdosing gives an unpleasant damp note. Work from a 0.1% dilution.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Green / Aromatic
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Mushroom alcohol, Oct-1-en-3-ol, Matsutakeol
- CAS number
- 3391-86-4
- Molecular formula
- C8H16O
- Molecular weight
- 128.21 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- oct-1-en-3-ol
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 18827, 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 (1,788 reports): H315 causes skin irritation (99.9% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (99.8% of reports); H332 harmful if inhaled (97.4% of reports); H302 harmful if swallowed (96.6% of reports); H400 very toxic to aquatic life (93.9% of 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
-
Lavender Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh
-
Oakmoss Absolute
Absolute · Chypre / Green — mossy, earthy, inky, forest floor
-
Patchouli Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Chypre — earthy, woody, camphoraceous, dark
-
Vetiver Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Green — earthy, smoky, woody, rooty
1-Octen-3-ol is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Geosmin.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 20 published formulas
1-Octen-3-ol is an ingredient in 14 perfume formulas and 6 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about 1-Octen-3-ol
Is 1-Octen-3-ol natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial 1-Octen-3-ol 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 1-Octen-3-ol?
3391-86-4. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use 1-Octen-3-ol?
1-Octen-3-ol is used in 20 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Asphalt Peony, Blood Accord and Bright Wolf. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 18827, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Sigma-Aldrich — 1-octen-3-ol, organoleptic profile — manufacturer's description.
- Scentspiracy — 1-Octen-3-ol — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Cèpes — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.