✦ Powerful green-melon and cucumber aldehyde by Givaudan

✦ Creates realistic marine, ozonic, and watery accords

✦ Extremely high impact — use in trace amounts only

✦ Adds fresh, airy top-note lift to almost any blend

✦ Used in modern aquatic and fruity-tropical perfumes

✦ Vegan and synthetic — consistent, animal-free

✦ Best handled as a 1% or 10% dilution

Melonal is Givaudan's trade name for 2,6-dimethyl-5-heptenal, an aldehydic aroma chemical first identified in nature in ginger and trace amounts in lemon and lime peel. It has become a standard tool in the perfumer's palette for green and melon effects.

What makes Melonal special is its sheer power and clarity. A single drop can transform a composition, lending a watery, cucumber-fresh transparency that synthetic and natural materials struggle to replicate. It is invaluable for natural-smelling marine and fruity-melon themes.

Bio Shop Pakistan supplies cosmetic-grade Melonal suitable for fine fragrance, attar and mukhallat blending, functional perfumery, and home scenting applications.

SCENT DESCRIPTION: An immediate burst of cut cucumber and ripe green melon. The aroma is watery, airy, and slightly fatty-aldehydic, with a clean ozonic transparency. It feels like fresh garden produce and sea air combined. Trace dosing reveals a tropical, cantaloupe sweetness underneath.

NOTE POSITION : Top

FRAGRANCE FAMILY : Green · Marine/Aquatic · Fruity

FACETS : Melon · Cucumber · Watery · Green · Aldehydic

TENACITY : Low to Medium (1-3 hours)

SILLAGE : High — projects powerfully even at low dose

Chemical Name : 2,6-Dimethyl-5-heptenal

CAS Number : 106-72-9

Synonyms : Melonal, Dimethylheptenal, Melon heptenal, FEMA 2389

Purity % : verify with supplier (often supplied technical/stabilized)

Appearance : Pale yellow liquid

Odor Threshold : Very low (high-impact material)

Solubility : Soluble in alcohol and oils, insoluble in water

Specific Gravity: verify with supplier CoA

Flash Point : verify with supplier CoA

Type : Synthetic

Fine Fragrance ★★★★★

Essential for marine, ozonic, and melon accords. Adds airy realism to aquatic and floral compositions. A workhorse for modern fresh perfumery.

Attar & Oriental Blending ★★★☆☆

Useful for adding a fresh green lift to fruity or floral attars. Use sparingly so it does not overwhelm rich oriental bases.

Functional Fragrance ★★★★☆

Effective in detergents, soaps, and cleaners for a clean, fresh signal. Good bloom but limited tenacity.

Cosmetics ★★★☆☆

Can brighten lotions and creams in trace amounts. Note it is a recognised skin sensitiser, so dosing must stay low and IFRA-compliant.

Home Fragrance ★★★★☆

Adds fresh, watery top notes to diffusers and sprays. Strong initial impact, shorter persistence.

EDP : 0.05 – 0.5%

EDT : 0.05 – 0.3%

Body Lotion : 0.01 – 0.1%

Shampoo/Body Wash: 0.05 – 0.3%

Candle : 0.1 – 0.5%

Reed Diffuser : 0.1 – 0.5%

Soap : 0.1 – 0.5%

⚠️ Melonal is classified as a skin sensitiser (Skin Sens. 1B). IFRA restricts its use in leave-on and rinse-off products.

⚠️ Exact IFRA 51st Amendment category limits must be verified at ifrafragrance.org before finalising any skin-contact formula.

⚠️ This is an extremely powerful material — overdosing produces a harsh, fatty, metallic off-note.

Method 1 — Trace dosing: Add as a fraction of a percent for fresh green top-note lift in almost any fragrance type.

Method 2 — Melon accord: Combine with Calone, ethyl maltol, and cis-3-hexenol to build a realistic ripe melon note.

Method 3 — Marine accord: Pair with Calone and Helional for ozonic, sea-breeze effects.

BEST PAIRINGS

Calone → Builds modern marine and melon accords

cis-3-Hexenol → Reinforces fresh green, cut-stem realism

Helional → Adds aquatic floral lift

Ethyl Maltol → Rounds melon into ripe, sweet fruit

Dihydromyrcenol → Boosts fresh citrus-aquatic brightness

AVOID

✦ Overdosing — quickly turns fatty, rancid, and metallic

✦ Heavy use in rich oriental or gourmand bases where it clashes

Melonal is one of those materials that teaches you restraint. A single drop in 10ml can lift an entire accord, but a drop too many and the whole thing smells of greasy cucumber peel. I treat it as a seasoning, not a pillar.

ADVANCED TIP: Pre-dilute Melonal to 1% in perfumer's alcohol or DPG before dosing. Build your melon accord by anchoring Calone and ethyl maltol first, then add the 1% Melonal drop by drop until the watery freshness "clicks" — usually well under 0.3% in the final concentrate.

Physical State : Liquid (pale yellow)

Skin Safety : Skin sensitiser (Skin Sens. 1B) — keep within IFRA limits

Eye Contact : Irritant — avoid contact, rinse thoroughly

Ingestion : Do not ingest — fragrance grade

Ventilation : Use in well-ventilated area

Storage : Cool, dark place, tightly sealed, away from heat

Shelf Life : 1-2 years sealed (verify with supplier CoA)

Container : Amber glass or compatible HDPE

Flammability : Combustible liquid — keep from flame and sparks

Q: What does Melonal smell like?

A: Powerful green melon and cucumber with a watery, airy, slightly aldehydic character. It is fresh and ozonic in trace amounts.

Q: How much Melonal should I use?

A: Very little — usually under 0.5% in a finished concentrate. Pre-dilute to 1% or 10% for accurate dosing.

Q: Is Melonal vegan?

A: Yes. It is a synthetic aroma chemical with no animal-derived content.

Q: Why does my blend smell fatty or harsh?

A: You have likely overdosed. Melonal turns metallic and rancid when used too heavily, so reduce the amount.

Q: How does Melonal compare to natural melon or cucumber sources?

A: There is no practical natural melon oil, so Melonal is the standard way to recreate that note. It is far more powerful, stable, and consistent than trace natural occurrences in ginger or citrus peel.