Ambergris is a rare and expensive animal raw material used in perfumery. It is not obtained by harming or killing sperm whales, but rather by collecting the substance that floats on the surface of the sea after it has been excreted by the whale. The oxidation created by seawater and the sun transforms the substance into a raw material that can be used in perfumery. Unoxidized ambergris does not have the desired smell and therefore has no commercial value. The scent of dried ambergris is pleasant and can have leathery, tobacco-like, woody, or camphorated facets.
Ambergris is prized for its ability as a fixative, to enhance a fragrances staying power by anchoring the more volatile ingredients and "rounding it out". It has been used in fragrance for millennia, and its presence can be best described as marine, animalic, and sweet. The three major components isolated from ambergris are triterpene alcohol ambrein, epicoprostanol, and coprostanone.
Some fragrances contain natural ambergris, such as Mitsouko by Guerlain, Ambre Nuit by Dior, and Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens. However, wild-harvested supplies are erratic, and many countries have outlawed the trade of ambergris, so it tends to be created synthetically.
Here are some positive and negative aspects of ambergris in perfumery:
Positive:
- Enhances a fragrances staying power
- Adds warmth, volume, and diffusion to fragrances
- Has a pleasant scent with leathery, tobacco-like, woody, or camphorated facets
- Has been used in fragrance for millennia
Negative:
- Obtaining natural ambergris is rare and expensive
- Wild-harvested supplies are erratic
- Many countries have outlawed the trade of ambergris
Ambergris is a rare natural aromatic used in perfume, incense, and medicine for thousands of years. It has a strong effect on our hormonal system, especially the feminine one, and has been used as a remedy for various ailments.
