Cortex Aldehyde

Description and usage notes:

An attractive fresh green note reminiscent of the scent in a flower shop. It lasts for several days on a strip but has impact throughout the development of a fragrance. It does have some aldehydic character but not as much as you might expect from the name. This is a thick viscous liquid that can solidify in cooler temperatures.  The odour becomes more attractive as it dries out and can be used to give a sweetness in the base notes of many types of fragrance.

The, characteristically short, description from IFF is as understated as ever: “Green (stem like), floral (flower shop). Used in fragrances to give ‘outdoors’ character and freshness” 

Arctander is quite enthusiastic: “Powerful green, wood-sap-like, but fresh and ‘aldehydic’-sweet, floral-sweet odor of considerable tenacity. The terminal notes are particularly sweet and attractive.” he goes on to say that “It performs particularly well with the Ionones and Methylionones for woody- floral complexes, and in Geranium for powerful, fresh-green effects. It can also give lift and novel effects in Lavender with Oakmoss, in Chypre, etc. It is an aldehyde of considerable versatility and power.”

Arctander also points out that “The material is relatively unstable and may polymerize if improperly stored, thereby losing odor and increasing its viscosity.” and it is for this reason that it is normally sold stabilised in benzyl alcohol.

Arcadi Boix Camps writing in 1978 says: “Cortex Aldehyde has an intense sweet, grassy, floral odor and strengthens and refreshes the back notes very effectively”, in 1985 he classifies this product as a “fresh-muget-hyacinth-floral-green” note.