In short
Rose acetate, trichloromethylphenylcarbinyl acetate, is a crystalline synthetic with a mild, fresh rose odour. It is very stable and was long used to give rose notes body in soaps.
What Rose Acetate smells like
Rose acetate (trichloromethylphenylcarbinyl acetate, also sold as rose crystals) is a lasting rose odorant. ChemicalBook describes a weak, very natural, lasting rose odour; a supplier lists metallic neat and rose in dilution; a patent calls it a much-esteemed odorant for its rose and geranium notes, and others value it as a stable rose with fixative properties. Sources disagree on strength — one calls it weak, another intense — so the detail is uncertain.
- Leading note
- Natural rose
- Supporting facets
- Geranium
- Faint facets
- Metallic, neat
- Character
- Soft, lasting, stable
What makes Rose Acetate distinctive
It is a rose fixative rather than a rose top: a natural-smelling rose that is weak on its own but persists and anchors other rose materials.
Concentration and dilution
Described as metallic neat and rose-like in dilution.
Where the descriptions disagree: One source calls its odour weak, another intense.
How Rose Acetate is used
Used as a long-lasting, stable rose fixative in rose and floral compositions.
Typical role: blender (smooths the joins between other materials); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Rose Acetate differs from similar materials
- Rosaphen
- Rosaphen is a rose with a slightly waxy geraniol shade and good tenacity; rose acetate is a weak, very natural, lasting rose with geranium.
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 that dissolves slowly; predissolve it. It contains chlorine, which some brands avoid.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Synthetic
- Odour family
- Floral
- Note position
- Heart to base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- Also known as
- Trichloromethylphenylcarbinyl acetate, Rose crystals
- CAS number
- 90-17-5
- Molecular formula
- C10H9Cl3O2
- Molecular weight
- 267.5 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (2,2,2-trichloro-1-phenylethyl) acetate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 7007, 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 (1,616 reports): H315 causes skin irritation (85.1% of reports); H412 harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects (85.1% of reports). 223 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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
-
Citronellol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Green — rosy, fresh, citrus, waxy
-
Geraniol
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — rosy, sweet, citrus, fresh
-
Rose Oxide
Aroma chemical · Floral / Metallic — metallic, green, geranium, rosy
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 9 published formulas
Rose Acetate is an ingredient in 8 perfume formulas and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Rose Acetate
Is Rose Acetate natural or synthetic?
Rose Acetate is synthetic — it is made by chemical synthesis.
What is the CAS number of Rose Acetate?
90-17-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Rose Acetate?
Rose Acetate is used in 9 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Apricot Dust, Birch Ghost and Blackcurrant Signal. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 7007, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- ChemicalBook — trichloromethylphenylcarbinyl acetate (CAS 90-17-5) — odour database.
- Fraterworks — rose crystals — distributor's description.
- Parchem — rose crystals — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.