Melonal, the best-known trade name owned by Givaudan-also known as Melon Aldehyde with the chemical name 2,6-Dimethyl-5-heptenal-is a fully synthetic fragrance ingredient that does not occur in nature. As a free-flowing liquid ranging in color from pale yellow to yellow, it diffuses a distinctly green and refreshing scent reminiscent of cantaloupe rind and cucumber.
Although discovered by chemists in the mid-20th century, Melonal did not truly become a star until the 1990s, when-together with Calone 1951-it helped define the “New Freshness” era. This marked a dramatic shift in perfumery from the heavy, sharp styles of the 1980s toward a cleaner, more transparent, oceanic direction.
Melonal recreates natural melon facets that traditional extraction methods cannot obtain, and therefore became a core material for building juicy fruity notes or marine/aquatic effects in modern perfumery. In addition, thanks to its high stability, it is widely used in household and personal-care (home & fabric care) products.
Description
Belonging to the Green, Fruity, and Aldehydic families, Melonal offers an impressive olfactory experience dominated by an extremely powerful cantaloupe-rind and cucumber note. Completely unlike the typical sugary fruit profiles, it leans toward a fresh, crisp, slightly green “not-yet-ripe” character, creating a watery, dewy, slightly earthy/green, and cool “icy” effect.
Used as a top note or a modifier, Melonal is extremely potent-tiny amounts can create a major impact-yet its longevity is only moderate to weak because it is a short-chain aldehyde that evaporates within the first few hours. Perfumers often exploit this to construct melon effects in fruity accords, bring an airy ozonic breeze to sporty summer fragrances, or soften the richness of florals such as muguet (lily-of-the-valley) and violet.
In blending, the pairing of Melonal and Calone is considered a classic duo for a complete marine accord: Calone suggests salty sea wind, while Melonal contributes the watery, fresh fruit nuance. In addition, pairing it with violet leaf enhances the naturalness of cucumber notes, while combining it with Helional can suggest a watermelon effect and the humid air after rain. Because the raw material is very sharp and strong, in practice it is often diluted to 10% or 1% in solvents such as DPG or ethanol to make accurate dosing easier to control.
Applications
Melonal is remarkably versatile: it is not only the “soul” of aquatic, citrus-aromatic, and floral-fruity styles, but also brings a refreshing lift to bath and body products and to home ambiance through scented candles or diffusers. In particular, thanks to its good stability in alkaline conditions, it is an ideal choice for bar soaps and laundry products to create a crisp “clean clothes” impression. However, using Melonal requires very careful dosing in line with IFRA guidance: in fine fragrance it is typically kept around 0.1% up to a maximum of 1% to avoid drifting into an unpleasant “wilted vegetable” odor-whereas in cleaning products higher levels may be used to mask the harsh base-chemical smell.
As an aldehyde, Melonal may pose a risk of skin irritation and is also prone to oxidation into the corresponding acid, which can dull its original freshness. Therefore, it should be stored in a tightly sealed bottle at low temperature, and the use of antioxidants is essential. Melonal’s signature is clearly seen in 1990s masterpieces such as L’Eau d’Issey (lotus and melon notes that helped spark the aquatic trend), Calvin Klein Escape for Women (with a prominent green-apple facet), and as a key supporting material in Acqua di Giò. In a classic reference book, Steffen Arctander described Melonal as a powerful cucumber/cantaloupe-like material used for “fresh air” or citrusy top notes, with excellent blending ability with oakmoss, geranium, and lavender, and noted its particularly good stability in soap-while in food it is used only at trace levels.
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