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Natural
Treat your senses to the aroma of almond cake and cherry liqueur, brought out by this natural aromatic extract, benzaldehyde.
Natural? Really?
Synthetic benzaldehyde is extensively used in perfumery today, but when you find a good natural source for a naturally occurring chemical, you go for it. Lush purchases natural benzaldehyde, extracted from cassia oil.
What are the benefits of benzaldehyde?
- Purely aromatic, it gives perfume a distinctive almond character with soft cherry, marzipan and slightly powdery nuances.
- It can also be used as a flavour for mouth and oral care products.
A scented part of history
Synthetic fragrances may seem commonplace today, but isolating the molecule responsible for a plant's scent and reproducing it in a lab represented a major breakthrough in 19th-century science. Benzaldehyde is one of the iconic molecules of that era. Researchers discovered this natural compound while studying another substance found in bitter almonds: amygdalin. Benzaldehyde was isolated shortly thereafter and was ultimately synthesised in 1832 by Wöhler and Liebig. These two German chemists were pioneers in inorganic and organic chemistry, and their work on benzaldehyde led to their "radical compounds” theory, which had a significant impact at the time, even though it is now obsolete.
Is Benzaldehyde safe?
Handling synthetic benzaldehyde in very large quantities (on an industrial scale) requires great care, as it can be hazardous. As far as we are concerned, we use natural benzaldehyde, and, in any case, we adhere to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards and recommendations on safe levels in cosmetics.
Furthermore, because the European Union and other global bodies have classified benzaldehyde as an allergen, we must inform our customers of its presence in our products, whether natural or synthetic. Allergens are materials commonly found in fragrances that are more likely to cause allergic reactions in the form of skin sensitisation or irritation in susceptible individuals. They are restricted to ensure safe use in cosmetics. They must also appear on product labels when they occur above a certain limit: 0,001 % for leave-on products like moisturisers and 0,01 % for rinse-off products like shower gels.
While allergies affect only a small minority, it is still important to highlight the presence of allergens in products so that customers who may be more sensitive to them can make informed decisions.
At Lush, these substances can occur naturally in essential oils, absolutes, and resinoids, or may be added to support our fragrance formulas. To help customers better understand what's in their products, we've colour-coded our ingredients on the labels. When obtained from natural sources, the allergen is in green text. When naturally occurring in an ingredient such as an essential oil, it is also listed in green, preceded by an asterisk (e.g. *Benzaldehyde). When added to a formula in a synthetic form, it is listed in black, without an asterisk.