There are several types of musks, including natural and synthetic musks. Synthetic musks are chemicals used in personal care product fragrances, and they are rarely listed on the label since fragrance ingredients are often not disclosed. Synthetic musks bioaccumulate in the environment and have been detected in human breast milk, body fat, blood, and umbilical cords. Studies show that these compounds can disrupt cell functioning and hormone systems.
Musk is a component of fragrances and is used as a fixative in perfumes. It is also used as a component of rouge, a red powder or cream used as a cosmetic for coloring the cheeks or lips. The most common types of musks used in consumer products are nitro-musks (e.g., musk ketone and musk xylene) and polycyclic musks (e.g., galaxolide and tonalide) .
The fresh musk secretion is a dark brown viscous semisolid that turns to brownish-yellow or purple-red granules when dried. When distilled, musk yields the principles muscone (muskone) and normuscone. Other compounds present in musk include steroids, paraffins, triglycerides, waxes, mucopyridine, other nitrogenous substances, and fatty acids.
Below are the details of some specific musks:
- Musk xylene: It is a white to light-colored crystalline solid that is insoluble in water and denser than water.
- Ethylene brassylate: It is a synthetic fragrance ingredient in the artificial musk family, also known as Musk T.
- Musk GX: It is used as a component of fragrances, together with Hedione, Methyl Ionone Gamma, and Iso E Super, in roughly equal proportions.
- Musk ketone: It is a synthetic musk that is used as a fragrance ingredient in personal care and cleaning products.
