Organic compounds

A process of forming a personal care composition, a household care composition or a fine fragrance composition, said process comprising the steps of:

• I) reacting hydroxylinalool with ethyl vinyl ether in acid under an inert gas atmosphere at 1 to 100 bar, and a temperature of (−) 10 to 200 degrees centigrade, to form a reaction mixture comprising acetals;
• II) acidifying the cooled reaction mixture at (−20) to 40 degrees centigrade and atmospheric pressure to hydrolyse said acetals;
• III) neutralising the reaction mixture in a base before adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture to a slightly acidic pH of 2 to 7, to yield 5, 9-dimethyl-9-hydroxy-decen-4-al (I);
• and optionally
• IV) distilling the reaction mixture to isolate 5, 9-dimethyl-9-hydroxy-decen-4-al;
• and,
• V) incorporating the isolated 5, 9-dimethyl-9-hydroxy-decen-4-al within the personal care composition, or the household care composition or the fine fragrance composition.