Hexyl Salicylate (CAS 6259-76-3) — Green Heart Note Fragrance Ingredient
Hexyl Salicylate
CAS 6259-76-3
What Is Hexyl Salicylate?
Hexyl salicylate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient commonly found in sunscreens, aftershaves, and floral perfumes. It provides a fresh, herbal-green scent reminiscent of crushed leaves with a subtle floral undertone. This versatile molecule helps create natural-smelling floral bouquets while acting as a fixative to prolong fragrance longevity on skin.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Hexyl Salicylate Smell Like?
Hexyl salicylate opens with a crisp, dewy greenness like freshly cut grass stems, quickly revealing a smooth floral heart reminiscent of magnolia petals soaked in rainwater. The dry-down develops a creamy, slightly powdery texture with whispers of unsweetened vanilla. Unlike sharper salicylates, it maintains a rounded softness throughout evaporation, behaving like a hybrid between green tea leaves and faint lily-of-the-valley.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Provides the invigorating ‘fresh-cut’ herbal backdrop that complements citrus notes, creating the fragrance’s signature energizing green aura.
Used to craft the illusion of sun-warmed papyrus stalks, blending with mango and lotus for a watery-green tropical effect.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCOC(=O)C1=C(O)C=CC=C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Hexyl salicylate belongs to the ester class, formed via Fischer esterification between salicylic acid and hexanol. As a synthetic molecule, it doesn’t occur naturally but mimics aspects of methyl salicylate found in wintergreen. The hexyl chain increases hydrophobicity compared to shorter-chain salicylates, altering both volatility and olfactory profile. No chiral centers exist in this linear ester structure.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | ~300 °C (estimated) |
| Density | ~1.03 g/cm³ (estimated) |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 1-5% | Up to 10% | Green-floral modifier |
| Functional Fragrance | 0.5-3% | Up to 5% | Freshness enhancer |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use to ‘cool down’ overly sweet florals by adding a crisp vegetative dimension.
Alternatives & Comparisons
More floral-powdery with less green character; better for heavy oriental bases but lacks freshness.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. IFRA, REACH, EU Cosmetics Regulation standards update periodically. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating. Not legal or regulatory advice.
IFRA Status
No restrictions under IFRA 51st Amendment; widely used in all fragrance categories.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM assessment confirms safe use at current industry levels with no sensitization concerns.
Sustainability
Synthesized from petrochemical feedstocks but requires minimal energy input. Not biodegradable but used at low concentrations. No known ecological toxicity at usage levels. Preferred over natural methyl salicylate due to consistent quality and reduced harvest pressure on wintergreen plants.
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References
- Bickers et al. (2003). A toxicologic and dermatologic assessment of salicylates. Journal of the American College of Toxicology. PMID 12708631
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 6259-76-3Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 222.28 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 5.7🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 272 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.0006 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 151 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -0.009💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCOC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 8.5 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | balsamicfloralfruityhayherbalspicy• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | esterphenoletheraromatic💻 RDKit |
| “odor. and other, mainly non-floral, fragrance types Sp.Gr. However, its Insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and odor is much weaker than that of Amyl sali- oils. Very faint, sweet-herbaceous odor. by direct esterification under azeotropic condi- Odor descriptions often include the word tions. “metallic”, but the author of this work be- lieves that the pure ester does not carry such 31-I 30; 34-”📖 Arctander | |
Regulatory Status
| IFRA Listed | Yes — see IFRA Standards for category limits⚖️ IFRA 51 |
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: DTXSID4038924
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 222.284 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 1.038 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 292.94 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | -4.15 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 151 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.518 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 208.29 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 5.5 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 4.018 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 3.979 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 9.11 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.001 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 17.076 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 39.081 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 146.56 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 46.53 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 3 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 6 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 63.072 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 25.004 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.
