Benzyl laurate (CAS 140-25-0) — Floral Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Benzyl laurate
CAS 140-25-0
What Is Benzyl laurate?
Benzyl laurate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient often used as a fixative in perfumes and personal care products. It helps other scents last longer on the skin. This ingredient matters because it adds subtle floral undertones while stabilizing more volatile fragrance components, creating longer-lasting scent experiences in everything from fine perfumes to body lotions.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Benzyl laurate Smell Like?
Benzyl laurate offers a delicate, waxy-floral character with faint honeyed undertones. Its odor is subtle rather than dominant—imagine the ghost of a gardenia blossom wrapped in clean laundry musk. The fragrance stays close to the skin, evolving minimally over time but providing remarkable tenacity. As a base note, it acts like invisible scaffolding that helps brighter aromas maintain their structure for hours without calling attention to itself.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as a stabilizing base that subtly amplifies the floral bouquet while preventing top notes from dissipating too quickly.
Helps anchor the vanilla-oriental accord, adding just enough waxy texture to balance the sweetness.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCC1=CC=CC=C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Benzyl laurate is an ester formed by the condensation of benzyl alcohol and lauric acid. As a synthetic ingredient, it’s typically produced through acid-catalyzed esterification. The molecule lacks chirality, making its synthesis straightforward without stereochemical considerations. Its twelve-carbon laurate chain provides excellent lipid solubility, while the benzyl group contributes mild aromatic character. This combination creates a molecule that’s both stable and effective at modulating fragrance volatility.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | ~300 °C (estimated) |
| Density | ~0.95 g/cm³ (estimated) |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 1-3% | Up to 5% | Fixative for floral compositions |
| Body Lotions | 0.5-2% | Up to 3% | Enhances fragrance longevity |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use to extend the life of citrus top notes without weighing them down.
Alternatives & Comparisons
More aromatic with less waxiness; better for amplifying floral character rather than stabilizing.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
Not restricted under current IFRA standards.
RIFM Assessment
Considered safe as used in current fragrance practices according to RIFM.
Sustainability
As a synthetic ingredient, benzyl laurate avoids agricultural resource demands. Its production from petrochemical precursors raises some environmental concerns, but its efficiency as a fixative means less material is needed overall compared to some natural alternatives.
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References
- Benzyl Laurate – Cosmetic Ingredient Review CIR Assessment
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 140-25-0Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 290.4 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 6.8🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 352 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 109 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | 0.357💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCC1=CC=CC=C1🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 17.4 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | fatty• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | esteretheraromatic💻 RDKit |
| “Very faint, fatty odor. Probably odorless to most people when this ester is absolutely pure.”📖 Arctander | |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID7059692
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 290.447 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.937 g/cm^3📊 OPERA |
| Boiling Point | 369.392 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | 8.5 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 132.713 °C📊 OPERA |
| Refractive Index | 1.488 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 307.307 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 7.019 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 7.019 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 7.019 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 9.84 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg📊 OPERA |
| Viscosity | 12.395 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 33.58 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 146.329 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 26.3 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 2 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 12 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 88.538 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 35.099 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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