In short
Violet leaf absolute is extracted from the leaves, not the flowers, of the sweet violet. It is one of the most intense green naturals in perfumery.
What Violet Leaf Absolute smells like
Violet leaf absolute is an intense, dark green material: green, vegetal and earthy, with a cucumber and melon effect and a waxy texture. Firmenich describes a green, vegetal, floral, waxy, slightly earthy odour with a cucumber and melon effect; other descriptions add a cold cucumber-skin quality and a metallic undercurrent, and note that the Egyptian material is more intense, with a leathery undertone. Its floral side is faint, and sources disagree on whether it exists at all. Its cucumber-green comes largely from nonadienal and related compounds.
- Leading note
- Dark leafy green
- Clear facets
- Cucumber
- Supporting facets
- Earthy, waxy
- Faint facets
- Metallic, faint floral
- Character
- Green, dense, earthy, cool
What makes Violet Leaf Absolute distinctive
It is the natural violet leaf: the cucumber-green of nonadienal set in an earthy, waxy, metallic body that no single synthetic reproduces.
Concentration and dilution
Very intense; one source describes it moving from sharp green top notes to a softer, slightly ozonic drydown.
Where the descriptions disagree: Some describe a fine floral undertone; another source calls it not floral at all.
How Violet Leaf Absolute is used
Used for natural green depth in chypre, fougère and green compositions, often at heart and base, and in violet accords where the leaf rather than the flower is wanted.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Violet Leaf Absolute differs from similar materials
- 2,6-Nonadienal
- Nonadienal is the cucumber-violet-leaf aldehyde on its own — clearer and harsher; the absolute adds earthy, waxy and metallic natural depth.
- Methyl Octine Carbonate
- Methyl octine carbonate is a cleaner, softer, more floral violet leaf; the absolute is darker, earthier and more complex.
- Violiff
- Violiff is a synthetic violet-leaf note with tagetes and a fruity banana facet.
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 strong; dose from a dilution. Dark green in colour.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Absolute
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Green / Aquatic
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Viola odorata L.
- CAS number
- 8024-08-6
The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.
Safety and compliance
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
-
2,6-Nonadienal
Aroma chemical · Green / Aquatic — cucumber, green, violet leaf, watery
-
Methyl Heptine Carbonate
Aroma chemical · Green / Aquatic — green, violet leaf, cucumber, fatty
-
Galbanum Oil
Essential oil · Green / Resinous — green, sharp, bitter, resinous
-
alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Floral — powdery, violet, orris, woody
Violet Leaf Absolute is also suggested as a partner on the pages for 2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, Boronia Absolute, Olive Fruit Absolute, Undecavertol, Violettyne and Violiff.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 25 published formulas
Violet Leaf Absolute is an ingredient in 18 perfume formulas and 7 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Violet Leaf Absolute
Is Violet Leaf Absolute natural or synthetic?
Violet Leaf Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.
What is the CAS number of Violet Leaf Absolute?
8024-08-6, the registry number for the absolute as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Violet Leaf Absolute?
Violet Leaf Absolute is used in 25 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including 1882 Naturals, Birch Ghost and Bracken Moon. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135278178, checked 19 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — violet leaf absolute — odour database.
- Premiere Peau — Violet leaf absolute — published perfumery reference.
- Eden Botanicals — Violet Leaf Absolute — distributor's description.
- AromaWeb — Violet Leaf Absolute — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.