In short
Terpinyl acetate is an ester found in cardamom oil. It gives a fresh, herbal, lavender-bergamot note.
What Terpinyl Acetate smells like
Terpinyl acetate is a mildly herbaceous, sweet ester with a bergamot-lavender character. Arctander describes it as mildly herbaceous and sweet, of the bergamot-lavender type, tending towards pine depending on quality, and much weaker than linalyl acetate but with slightly better tenacity. IFF gives sweet, herbaceous and floral with fresh lavender nuances; a glossary calls it fresh and woody-herbal, less piney than isobornyl acetate. Its low price and stability make it common in lavender and bergamot types.
- Leading note
- Herbal bergamot-lavender
- Supporting facets
- Sweet
- Faint facets
- Piney, woody
- Character
- Mild, fresh, herbal, stable
What makes Terpinyl Acetate distinctive
A cheaper, more stable, more herbal stand-in for linalyl acetate — weaker, slightly longer-lasting, with a hint of pine.
How Terpinyl Acetate is used
Used in lavender and bergamot types, essential-oil reconstructions and functional products.
Typical role: blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How Terpinyl Acetate differs from similar materials
- Linalyl Acetate
- Arctander found terpinyl acetate much weaker than linalyl acetate, with slightly better tenacity; it is more herbal and can lean piney. (compared directly by a cited source)
- alpha-Terpineol
- Alpha-terpineol, its parent alcohol, is lilac and pine; the acetate is a sweeter, herbaceous bergamot-lavender.
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
Inexpensive and stable.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Floral
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- CAS number
- 80-26-2
- Molecular formula
- C12H20O2
- Molecular weight
- 196.29 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)propan-2-yl acetate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 111037, 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 (1,929 reports): H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (84.6% of reports). 240 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
-
Linalyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Fruity — fruity, floral, bergamot, lavender
-
Lavender Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh
-
Cardamom Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Aromatic — spicy, aromatic, fresh, eucalyptus
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 5 published formulas
Terpinyl Acetate is an ingredient in 3 perfume formulas, 1 accord and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Terpinyl Acetate
Is Terpinyl Acetate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Terpinyl Acetate 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 Terpinyl Acetate?
80-26-2. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Terpinyl Acetate?
Terpinyl Acetate is used in 5 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Cardamom Crema, Finger Lime Accord and Neroli Bigarade Base. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 111037, 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 — terpinyl acetate (with IFF's description and Arctander) — odour database.
- ChemicalBook — terpinyl acetate (CAS 80-26-2) — odour database.
- Premiere Peau — Terpinyl acetate — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.