In short
Vanillin is the main odour molecule of vanilla, produced on a large scale by synthesis and also from natural sources. It is one of the most important sweet materials in perfumery.
What Vanillin smells like
Vanillin is the principal odorant of the vanilla pod: sweet, creamy vanilla with a woody, phenolic, slightly smoky edge. Perfumery glossaries contrast it with ethyl vanillin, which reads as vanilla ice cream where vanillin reads as vanilla pod, with less of vanillin's woody, phenolic resin. One source calls it the most consumed aroma chemical in perfumery by volume, used to round out woody-amber and powdery accords as well as gourmands. It discolours many bases.
- Leading note
- Vanilla pod
- Clear facets
- Creamy
- Supporting facets
- Woody, phenolic
- Faint facets
- Smoky
- Character
- Sweet, warm, rounded, tenacious
What makes Vanillin distinctive
Vanilla with its woody, phenolic backbone intact — the pod rather than the dessert.
How Vanillin is used
Used across perfumery: in gourmand and oriental accords, to round off woody-amber and powdery bases, and in vanilla flavours. Its tendency to discolour limits it in some products.
Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Vanillin differs from similar materials
- Ethyl Vanillin
- Ethyl vanillin is about three times stronger and creamier, more confectionery — vanilla ice cream rather than vanilla pod — with less phenolic, woody resin. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Vanilla Absolute
- The absolute adds tobacco, dried fruit, leather and a boozy, resinous depth that vanillin alone lacks. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Vanillin Isobutyrate
- Vanillin isobutyrate is smoother, creamier and more buttery, without vanillin's phenolic tones or powderiness. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Zingerone
- Zingerone is vanillin's spicy cousin — sweet vanilla with cooked ginger and a phenolic edge.
- Vanitrope
- A patent finds Vanitrope less sweet than vanillin, with a phenolic note; it is spicier and more clove-like. (compared directly by a cited source)
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 crystalline solid; dissolve before use. It turns brown over time and with light, and discolours white bases such as soap.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Gourmand / Amber
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- CAS number
- 121-33-5
- Molecular formula
- C8H8O3
- Molecular weight
- 152.15 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 1183, 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 (2,387 reports): H319 causes serious eye irritation (83.5% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (14.3% of reports). 42 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
-
Ethyl Vanillin
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy, candy
-
Vanilla Absolute
Absolute · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, woody, smoky
-
Coumarin
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Fougère — hay, sweet, almond, tobacco
-
Heliotropin
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Gourmand — powdery, almond, vanilla, floral
-
Benzoin Resinoid (Siam)
Resinoid · Amber / Gourmand — vanillic, balsamic, sweet, warm
-
Vanillin Isobutyrate
Aroma chemical · Gourmand — vanilla, creamy, sweet, smooth
Vanillin is also suggested as a partner on the pages for 2-Ethylpyrazine, 5-Methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal, alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde, Amber Core, Ambranum and Bran Absolute.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 74 published formulas
Vanillin is an ingredient in 38 perfume formulas, 34 accords and 2 bases in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Vanillin
Is Vanillin natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Vanillin 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 Vanillin?
121-33-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Vanillin?
Vanillin is used in 74 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Açaí Accord, Amber Accord and Banana Bread. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 1183, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Premiere Peau — Vanillin — published perfumery reference.
- Premiere Peau — Ethylvanillin — published perfumery reference.
- ChemicalBook — ethyl vanillin (CAS 121-32-4), comparing vanillin — odour database.
- 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.