Phenylethyl Cinnamate

What Phenylethyl Cinnamate smells like

Phenylethyl cinnamate has a sweet, balsamic odour reminiscent of rose, in ChemicalBook's description, and is used as a fixative in blossom fragrances. Fraterworks describes a heavy, sweet balsamic aroma with prominent rosy notes and subtle spicy, honey, vanilla and green tones; another supplier finds a sweet rose aroma that suggests plums when diluted. Honey appears only as a minor nuance.

Leading note

Balsamic rose

Clear facets

Sweet

Faint facets

Honey, vanilla, plum

Character

Heavy, soft, tenacious

• balsamic
• rosy
• sweet
• faint

What makes Phenylethyl Cinnamate distinctive

A rose fixative: the rose of phenylethyl alcohol carried into a heavy, sweet balsam that lasts.

Concentration and dilution

Suggests plums when diluted, in one supplier's description.

How Phenylethyl Cinnamate is used

Used as a fixative in rose and other floral compositions and in oriental bases.

Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).

How Phenylethyl Cinnamate differs from similar materials

Phenylethyl Benzoate

Phenylethyl benzoate leans more towards honey; the cinnamate is a heavier, sweeter balsamic rose.

Phenylethyl Phenylacetate

Phenylethyl phenylacetate is a dense honey-rose; the cinnamate is more balsamic, with less honey.

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

A solid; dissolve before use.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Synthetic

Odour family

Resinous / Floral

Note position

Base note

Physical form at room temperature

Solid

Also known as

Phenethyl cinnamate

CAS number

103-53-7

Molecular formula

C17H16O2

Molecular weight

252.31 g/mol

IUPAC name

2-phenylethyl (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5369459, 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 (1,542 of 1,609 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

• Phenylethyl Alcohol

  Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — rose, honeyed, soft, floral

• Benzyl Cinnamate

  Aroma chemical · Amber / Gourmand — balsamic, sweet, faint

• Phenylethyl Phenylacetate

  Aroma chemical · Floral / Gourmand — honey, rose, balsamic

• Rose Oil (Rosa damascena)

  Essential oil · Floral / Fruity — rose, honeyed, spicy, fresh

Used in formulas and accords

Not currently used in any published formula.

The Formula & Accord Library lists Phenylethyl Cinnamate here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.

Further reading

• Perfume Fixatives Explained: What They Do and What They Don't

  What fixatives are in perfumery, how low-volatility materials change evaporation and longevity, and the myths worth dropping before you formulate.

• Incense and Resins in Perfumery: Olibanum, Myrrh and Balsams

  Olibanum, myrrh, elemi, labdanum, benzoin, balsams and styrax: their characters, incense accord styles, viscosity, haze, color and restrictions.

Questions about Phenylethyl Cinnamate

Sources

• PubChem — compound 5369459, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• ChemicalBook — phenethyl cinnamate (CAS 103-53-7) — odour database.
• Fraterworks — phenyl ethyl cinnamate — distributor's description.
• MySkinRecipes — Phenethyl cinnamate — 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.