What Is Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate?
Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate is an ester that joined the perfumer’s palette in the early 1980s when researchers were exploring new fruity tonalities for modern fine fragrances. It is produced by reacting cyclohexanol with ethyl acetate under controlled conditions, a process carried out in large stainless-steel reactors that ensures high purity and repeatability.
The material is entirely synthetic, so it is not harvested from any plant or animal source. At room temperature it appears as a clear, mobile liquid with no visible color, making it easy to dose and evaluate in the lab. Its moderate flash point allows it to be handled without special high-temperature equipment yet still keeps it stable in most finished products.
Because the yield from the manufacturing process is high and the raw materials are widely available, Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate is considered an affordable workhorse rather than a luxury specialty. It shows up frequently in commercial formulas for fine fragrance, personal care and home care products. Perfumers value it for its reliability and its ability to survive the rigors of soap curing, detergent compounding and candle burning without breaking down.
What Does Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate Smell Like?
This ingredient is generally placed in the fruity family. Off a blotter it opens with a juicy sweetness reminiscent of mixed fruit candies, leaning toward pear drops and melon slices rather than fresh orchard fruit. The sweetness is clean and slightly creamy, avoiding any sticky or overripe facets. A subtle floral back note keeps it from feeling one-dimensional, giving the overall profile a soft rounding effect.
In the classical pyramid of top, middle and base notes Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate sits squarely in the heart. It appears a few minutes after application, bridging the sparkling top notes and the deeper base materials. Although it is not a top note, it does lend early lift, then stays present for several hours before tapering off.
Projection is moderate, making it useful for fragrances that need a friendly radius rather than a room-filling punch. Longevity on paper reaches six to eight hours, which is long for a fruity ester. In a skin fragrance it quietly fades by the end of the day, leaving space for base notes to take over without abrupt gaps.
How & Where To Use Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate
Most perfumers agree this is a friendly material to handle. It pours easily, stays clear in a blend and has a forgiving odour profile that rarely clashes with other notes.
Its main calling card is a juicy candy fruit effect that fills gaps between top and heart notes. You might reach for it when a formula feels flat after the citrus sparkle fades but before the florals bloom. It lifts pear, apple and melon accords, sweetens berry themes without turning them jammy and adds a playful twist to otherwise serious florals like rose or muguet.
In fine fragrance a typical inclusion sits around 0.5-3%. Trace levels brighten a composition without being recognisable as a distinct note. Push it toward 4-5% and the material becomes a signature, giving a clear candy-fruit character that can dominate lighter blends. Above that point it risks smelling syrupy and artificial, so moderation is key.
For functional products its stability makes it valuable in soap, shampoo and detergent where many esters hydrolyse or fade. It survives the alkaline environment of bar soap and the heat of candle wax, though in candles you may need closer to 5% of the fragrance oil for the note to project through combustion.
It is less helpful in compositions that aim for realistic fresh fruit since its sweetness skews toward confectionery. For a crisp green apple you would likely favour hexyl acetate or cis-3-hexenyl acetate and use Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate only in traces for roundness.
The liquid is insoluble in water but dissolves readily in ethanol, DEP or DPG. A 10% dilution in ethanol is standard for weighing and smelling. No special antioxidants or stabilisers are required, just keep the bottle tightly closed to prevent slow evaporation of the lighter top notes in the blend.
Safely Information
Working with any aroma chemical calls for a few common-sense precautions.
- Always dilute before evaluation: Prepare a 10% solution in a suitable solvent before smelling to avoid overwhelming odour fatigue or mucous membrane irritation.
- Avoid direct inhalation: Do not sniff straight from the bottle. Use a blotter or scent strip in a well-ventilated space so vapours disperse quickly.
- Personal protective equipment: Wear nitrile gloves to prevent skin contact and safety glasses to guard against accidental splashes.
- Health considerations: Some individuals may experience skin irritation or allergic reactions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding consult a medical professional before handling any fragrance raw material. Short low-level exposure is generally considered safe but prolonged or high-level contact can be harmful.
For complete and current guidance always review the supplier’s Material Safety Data Sheet and follow any usage limits set by the International Fragrance Association. Regulations and recommended levels can change so check them regularly to stay compliant and protect both yourself and end users.
Storage And Disposal
When kept in good conditions Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate stays fresh for roughly three to four years before its odour starts to thin out. Some perfumers stretch that to five years by limiting air contact and light exposure.
A refrigerator set between 4-10 °C slows oxidation but is not essential. A shelf in a cool dry cupboard away from sunlight heaters or hot pipes works well for day-to-day use. Always screw the cap on tight after every pour.
Choose bottles with polycone liners for stock solutions and dilutions. These cone-shaped inserts form a snug seal that outperforms glass droppers or pipette tops which tend to leak vapour and invite air back in. If possible decant into a smaller bottle once the fill level drops below half so the headspace stays minimal.
Label every container with the full ingredient name batch number date of opening and any hazard pictograms required by your local rules. Clear labels prevent mix-ups and remind anyone who handles the bottle to treat it with care.
For disposal never pour unused concentrate down the sink because the ester is insoluble and can upset wastewater systems. Small amounts can be absorbed onto dry sand or paper then placed in a sealed bag for collection with household hazardous waste. Larger volumes should go to a licensed chemical disposal service. The molecule is ultimately biodegradable under aerobic conditions yet it still needs controlled handling to avoid short-term harm to aquatic life.
Summary
Cyclohexyl Ethyl Acetate is a synthetic fruity ester that smells like juicy candy pear and melon sitting comfortably in the heart of a perfume. It slots into floral fruit gourmand and fun summer blends adding bounce and sweetness without turning syrupy.
Because it is stable in soap shampoo detergent and candles plus gentle on the wallet it shows up all over the fragrance world from fancy eau de parfum to everyday cleaning spray. The note is easy to dose blends well with most materials and survives heat and alkali better than many esters.
Keep an eye on its candy tilt so it supports rather than overwhelms a natural fruit idea. Store it cool cap it tight and you will have a reliable playful tool ready to lift countless accords for years to come.