Musk is a class of fragrant substances used as base notes in perfumery. It is the most commonly used raw material, present in almost all fragrant compositions. The natural aroma of musk is very complex and usually described with so many contradictory attributes. It may range from sweet, creamy, or powdery to rich, leathery, spicy, and even woodsy. The musk note is described as an animalistic nuance, with a lively and oscillating, often contrasting nature.
Musk is used a lot as a base note to bind the materials and fix the more volatile ingredients. White musks are gathered and refined in the laboratory to create synthetic musks. Synthetic musks are chemicals used in personal care product fragrances. 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) . 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.
Before the banning of animal musk, researchers have been working since the late 1800s on synthetic ingredients to reproduce musky notes. Their perfumes did not completely replace the natural smell so characteristic, but evoked more of a “clean” odor. These molecules were quickly adopted by laundry merchants to add a fresh scent to their products. Macrocyclic musks are the most used in perfumery today. In this category, we find various molecules with different olfactory characteristics.
Animal musk was one of the animal raw materials used in perfumery, along with civet, castoreum, ambergris, and hyraceum. Musk is now banned in perfumery, and there are many alternatives to avoid using it. Animal raw materials were especially present in the great majority of perfumes at the beginning of the 20th century. Very tenacious, these notes were used as fixatives, combining with the base notes (they evaporate very gradually and prolong the scent of the perfume) . Animal notes were used to bring a very sensual side to perfumes.
In conclusion, musk is a complex and widely used fragrance ingredient in perfumery. While natural musk is now banned, synthetic musks are commonly used in personal care products and fragrances. Synthetic musks have been associated with health and environmental dangers, and some people may be allergic to them.
