Benzyl Alcohol Natural Isolate

Adam Michael has this to say “Benzyl Alcohol Natural Isolate is a water-like clear fluid material with a very mild, delicate scent, often described as phenolic, floral, and only faintly almond-like when fresh. Widely used in the cosmetic industry alongside perfumery, Benzyl Alcohol is completely soluble in alcohol and only partly soluble in water (4g/100ml, and requires a little patience), but it is also an useful solvent thanks to its polarity, low toxicity, and low vapour pressure. Upon ageing this material develops a quite strong bitter almond note (that is, when benzaldehyde starts to form), and usually that is the moment when the material gets replaced with a fresh batch.

For those who seek a bitter almond note however, purchasing some Benzyl Alcohol Natural Isolate and leaving it to age could be a useful way to obtain that note, especially when it proves challenging to obtain.  Relatively tenacious and with a faint to medium odour strength, it is a widely used and relatively inexpensive material.”

Arctander has this to say “Used in perfumery as a blender, in some florals quite extensively. Jasmin, Gardenia and Lilac may often be composed using Benzyl alcohol although this material is really dispensable in most cases.”

Extracted from cinnamon essential oil.