Floral Aldehydic is subfamily B4 of the Floral family in the SFP table. Its mark is an aliphatic aldehyde note at the top: dry, clean, slightly waxy, suggesting soap, orange peel or cold metal. Below it sits a large bouquet.
Aliphatic aldehydes are straight-chain molecules such as decanal (C10), undecanal (C11) and dodecanal (C12). At high concentration they smell harsh; diluted, they give diffusion and make flowers seem brighter.
Chanel N°5 (1921), composed by Ernest Beaux, is the landmark of the branch. According to Auparfum, N°5 used a blend of C11, unsaturated C11 and C12 aldehydes at about one percent, higher than earlier perfumes; high-quality aldehydes were produced by Givaudan in Lyon from 1920. N°5 was not the first perfume with aldehydes, but it made the note a theme.
The bouquet beneath usually includes jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang and orris, with a base of sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and musks. Some aliphatic aldehydes occur naturally in small amounts in citrus peel, coriander and rose.
Jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang oils and extracts are named on the allergen list of Regulation (EU) 2023/1545; new products placed on the EU market after 31 July 2026 must be labelled according to it.
The SFP website publishes only subfamily names; perfume lists per subfamily are in the printed Classification officielle des parfums. Perfumes named here are commonly cited examples, not official SFP placements.
| Layer | Materials |
|---|---|
| Top | Dodecanal (C12), Undecanal (C11), Decanal (C10), Bergamot, Neroli |
| Middle | Jasmine, Damask rose, Ylang-ylang, Iris (orris) |
| Base | Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla |
This branch rests on synthetic molecules, so a fully natural version can only suggest its spirit. Some oils contain natural aliphatic aldehydes: coriander leaf is rich in decenal, orange and mandarin peel carry small amounts of decanal and dodecanal, as does combava. These can add dry brightness to a bouquet but not the aldehydic effect of N°5.
The bouquet beneath can be built fully with jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang absolutes. This page gives no formula percentages.
| Name | House | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| N°5 | Chanel | 1921 | Ernest Beaux. C11, unsaturated C11 and C12 aldehydes at about 1% (Auparfum). |
| Dodecanal, decenal · Dodecanal 1 · Decenal 2 | Fatty aldehydes in the constituent library. |
| Natural sources of aliphatic aldehydes · Coriander leaf · Orange sweet · Mandarin · Combava fruit | Small amounts of decanal, decenal, dodecanal. |
| Floral bouquet · Jasmine · Rose damask · Ylang ylang · Orris | The middle layer of B4. |
Updated 09/2026. Figures follow the year stated in each source.
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