Product Name

CANTHOXAL / PARA-ANISYL PROPANAL / 3-(4-METHOXYPHENYL)-2-METHYLPROPANAL

CAS No.: 5462-06-6 

🟢 Difficulty: Intermediate

⏳ Lasting: High

🌸 Note: Top / Heart

Description

Canthoxal is a distinctive aroma chemical with a complex sweet, anisic, green, herbal and slightly fruity character. Its odor profile combines licorice, anise, basil and fennel facets with a subtle fruity and watery freshness. IFF describes Canthoxal as having licorice, basil, fennel and anise notes with a slight fruity, watery modification. 

In perfumery, Canthoxal is particularly useful for creating anisic, muguet, green, fresh and floral effects. It can add an unusual herbal sweetness and watery freshness to floral compositions while also contributing a subtle cassis or raspberry-like nuance. It is useful in fresh citrus, floral, oriental and aromatic fragrance structures. 

Canthoxal has good substantivity and can remain present well into the later stages of a fragrance. Its relatively strong character means that it is best evaluated from a dilution, particularly when creating delicate floral accords. IFF lists it with a typical use level ranging from traces up to 5%. 

Odor Profile

• Anisic

• Licorice

• Sweet

• Basil

• Fennel

• Green

• Fruity

• Watery

• Herbal

Recommended Formulation Level (Educational guideline only)

• Trace: 0.01–0.05%

• General use: 0.05–1.00%

• High-impact accords: 1.00–5.00%

These are formulation guidelines for perfumers and are not IFRA limits.

Works Well With

• Anisic Aldehyde

• Anethole

• Linalool

• Hedione

• Hydroxycitronellal

• Bergamot Oil

• Lemon Oil

• Basil Oil

• Methyl Anthranilate

• Raspberry Ketone

• Vanillin

• Benzyl Salicylate

Common Applications

• Fine Fragrance

• Attars

• Floral Fragrance

• Muguet Accords

• Fresh Fragrance

• Green Fragrance

• Oriental Fragrance

• Soap

• Body Care

• Candles

• Home Fragrance

• Fabric Care

Perfumers' Tip

Canthoxal is useful when you want to add a sweet anisic-green freshness that is more complex than a simple anise note. Start with a dilution and increase gradually to maintain balance.

For a fresh floral accord, combine it with Hedione, Hydroxycitronellal and citrus materials. For a more distinctive anisic-fruity effect, pair it with anethole, raspberry materials and soft floral notes.