Aldehydic notes in perfumery
Coralie Frébourg
Soapy, sparkling, a little retro: aldehydic notes are love-or-hate. One thing's for sure: without them, modern perfumery wouldn't look the same. Here's everything you need to know, no jargon.
What is an aldehydic note?
Aldehydes are synthetic molecules with very distinctive smells. Some find them soapy, others old-fashioned, bitter or too close to coriander. Others smell clean laundry, citrus zest or a “champagne bubbles” effect.
Although widely used, aldehydic notes are not one of the six original olfactory families defined by the French Society of Perfumers (SFP): floral, citrus, woody, oriental, fougère and chypre. They are a facet that twists a composition.
A bit of history: from the lab to N°5
Aldehydes are recent in perfume history: they arrived in the early 20th century with the rise of synthetic chemistry. They became world-famous in 1921 thanks to an all-time bestseller, Chanel N°5, composed by Ernest Beaux, who used them in an unprecedented dose.
The “aldehydic floral” then became a great classic of women's perfumery from the 1920s to the 1970s, before coming back today in lighter, more genderless forms.
What do aldehydes smell like?
Aldehydic notes bring freshness, a clean facet, a metallic edge and a sparkling effect. They add radiance and diffusion to a perfume and pair particularly well with flowers.
They are usually top notes: you smell them from the first spray, then they fade.
Watch out for false friends: some molecules are called “aldehyde” without being one. That's the case of aldehydes C14, C16 and C18, which are actually fruity notes (peach, strawberry, coconut).
Key raw materials
- Aldehyde C9: zesty, green, watery fruit
- Aldehyde C10: orange, fatty, sour
- Aldehyde C11: zesty, soapy, coriander
- Aldehyde C12: zesty, mandarin, floral
- Mandarin aldehyde: orange, metallic, coriander
- Adoxal: marine, zesty, watery fruit
Iconic perfumes
- N°5, Chanel (1921), Ernest Beaux: aldehydic floral
- N°22, Chanel (1922), Ernest Beaux: aldehydic floral
- Arpège, Lanvin (1927), Paul Vacher and André Fraysse: aldehydic floral
- Liu, Guerlain (1929), Jacques Guerlain: green floral
- Madame Rochas, Rochas (1960), Guy Robert: aldehydic floral
- Calèche, Hermès (1961), Guy Robert: aldehydic floral
- Calandre, Paco Rabanne (1969), Michel Hy: aldehydic floral
- Rive Gauche, Yves Saint Laurent (1971): aldehydic floral
- First, Van Cleef & Arpels (1976), Jean-Claude Ellena: aldehydic floral
- Aldehyde 44, Le Labo (2006), Yann Vasnier: woody musky floral
- Blanche, Byredo (2009): aldehydic floral
This list is not exhaustive: there are many beautiful launches, some iconic, others more commercial.
And at Versatile?
We don't put our perfumes in boxes: no “aldehydic” label on our bottles. But if it's the sparkling, zesty effect that wins you over, go and smell the solar lemon of Presser le Citron, the cola bubbles of God Bless Cola or the fizzy basil of Dimanche Flemme. The easiest way to try: our Discovery Boxes.
FAQ
Are aldehydes natural?
Some aldehydes exist in nature, in citrus fruits for example, but those used in perfumery are synthetic molecules. And that's a good thing: we explain why in No more fragwashing.
Why does N°5 smell “soapy”?
That's precisely the signature of aldehydes: a clean, soapy facet paired with a floral bouquet. A revolutionary accord in 1921, so famous that today we associate it with “mom's perfume”.
Are aldehydic notes feminine?
No! Historically used in so-called women's perfumes, they mostly bring freshness and radiance. A perfume has no gender: read Stop the clichés in perfumery.
