Benzaldehyde

Say itben-ZAL-dih-hyde

Bitter almond and marzipan with a cherry-pit sweetness.

What it is: A molecule made in a lab.
Where it comes from: made from toluene, occurs in almond kernels
When you smell it: Top notes: the first minutes.
What perfumers do with it: Gives almond, marzipan and cherry effects to gourmands and heliotrope-type florals.
Worth knowing: The smell of marzipan and maraschino cherries is largely this one molecule.
Rules: Limited. IFRA use limits since 2020 (49th Amendment).
Also called: Bitter almond aldehyde; artificial almond oil

On the label of 14 of the 232 perfumes read so far

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