✦ Powerful macrocyclic ketone musk by Firmenich, also known as Muscenone Delta

✦ Nitro-musk style warmth reminiscent of Musk Ketone, but a clean macrocyclic musk

✦ Animalic, powdery, soft and slightly woody musk character

✦ Exceptional tenacity and substantivity on skin, hair and fabric

✦ Acts as a fragrance enhancer and booster at very low dosages

✦ Famously used in Bulgari for Men

✦ Vegan and cruelty-free — a synthetic substitute for natural deer musk

Muscenone is a macrocyclic ketone musk developed by Firmenich and first studied in the late 1960s. It is supplied as a mixture of isomers and is often referred to by its most animalic form, Muscenone Delta. Structurally related to Muscone and Exaltolide, it belongs to the modern family of safe macrocyclic musks.

What makes Muscenone special is its rare combination of a nitro-musk style warmth with the cleanliness of a macrocyclic molecule. It is slightly more powerful than Muscone, with an odor detection threshold among the lowest of commercial musks. Perfumers prize its naturalistic, animalic softness and its outstanding fixative and substantivity performance.

Bio Shop Pakistan supplies cosmetic-grade Muscenone suitable for fine fragrance, attar and mukhallat blending, functional perfumery, soap, candle and cosmetic formulation.

SCENT DESCRIPTION: A rich, warm musk with a distinctly animalic and powdery character. It recalls the depth of classic nitro musks like Musk Ketone, yet feels softer and more natural. A faint woody undertone develops on dilution, lending a velvety, cosmetic smoothness. It is dirtier and more sensual than clean white musks.

NOTE POSITION: Base (Heart-Base)

FRAGRANCE FAMILY: Musk · Animalic · Woody

FACETS: Musky · Animalic · Powdery · Soft · Woody

TENACITY: Very High — up to two weeks on blotter

SILLAGE: Medium to High — radiant yet intimate, with strong skin and fabric presence

Chemical Name : 3-Methyl-5-cyclopentadecen-1-one

CAS Number : 82356-51-2 (also 63314-79-4, 36399-15-2 — isomer dependent)

Synonyms : Muscenone Delta, Muscemore, 5-Cyclopentadecen-1-one 3-methyl-

Purity % : Min 96% (verify with supplier CoA)

Appearance : Colorless to pale yellow liquid

Odor Threshold : Very low (among the lowest of commercial musks)

Solubility : Soluble in alcohol and oils; insoluble in water

Specific Gravity : 0.923 – 0.933 (verify with supplier CoA)

Flash Point : Above 100°C (verify with supplier CoA)

Type : Synthetic (macrocyclic ketone musk)

Fine Fragrance ★★★★★

Its natural home. Adds animalic depth, warmth and tenacity to musky, oriental, chypre and leather accords. A premium fixative and booster.

Attar & Oriental Blending ★★★★★

Excellent for mukhallat, dehn al oud and amber bases. Lends a Tonkin-like animalic musk that pairs beautifully with oud and resins.

Functional Fragrance ★★★★☆

Outstanding fabric substantivity makes it ideal for fabric softeners and detergents, though cost limits heavy functional use.

Cosmetics ★★★★☆

Stable and soft in creams, lotions and powders, adding a cosmetic, skin-like musk warmth.

Home Fragrance ★★★☆☆

Usable in candles and incense as a base, but its very low volatility limits diffusion in reed systems.

EDP : 0.1 – 5%

EDT : 0.1 – 3%

Body Lotion : 0.1 – 1%

Shampoo/Body Wash : 0.1 – 1%

Candle : 0.5 – 3%

Reed Diffuser : 0.5 – 2%

Soap : 0.2 – 2%

IFRA 51st Amendment : Muscenone is reported as not restricted under the 51st Amendment and contains no declarable allergens.

⚠️ Always confirm the current IFRA status and category limits at ifrafragrance.org and against your supplier CoA before finalizing formulas. IFRA compliance is voluntary in Pakistan but recommended for Gulf export markets.

Enhancer Dose: Use at 0.05 – 0.5% to boost diffusion, body and tenacity without a dominant musk character.

Musk Base: Use at 1 – 5% to build a rich animalic musk foundation in fine fragrance and attar.

Fixative Layer: Combine with other macrocyclic musks to smooth and round the overall musk accord.

BEST PAIRINGS

Exaltolide → Smooths and lifts the macrocyclic musk body

Ambrettolide → Adds soft, slightly fruity musk roundness

Habanolide → Clean, modern musk balance against the animalic facet

Oud / Resins → Deepens oriental and mukhallat bases

Ambroxan → Amber-musk warmth and extended sillage

AVOID

Overdosing in clean white-musk accords, where its animalic facet can read as dirty.

Muscenone is one of those rare musks that bridges the lost world of nitro musks and the safe modern macrocyclics. It carries an animalic, almost dirty warmth that clean white musks simply cannot replicate, which is why it remains a quiet hero in luxury perfumery.

ADVANCED TIP: Pre-dilute to 10% in DPG or alcohol before evaluating — undiluted, the nose underestimates its true power. Dose at around 0.2% first as a silent booster, then build upward only if you want the animalic musk to speak openly.

Physical State : Liquid (colorless to pale yellow)

Skin Safety : No sensitization reported under normal use; patch test and follow IFRA

Eye Contact : Avoid; rinse thoroughly with water if exposed

Ingestion : Not for ingestion; keep away from food

Ventilation : Use in well-ventilated areas

Storage : Cool, dark place away from heat and light

Shelf Life : 2 – 3 years sealed (verify with supplier CoA)

Container : Tightly sealed glass or HDPE

Flammability : Combustible; flash point above 100°C

Q: What does Muscenone smell like?

A: A warm, animalic, powdery musk reminiscent of classic nitro musks but softer and more natural. It is dirtier and richer than clean white musks.

Q: Is Muscenone a nitro musk?

A: No. It smells like a nitro musk but is actually a safe macrocyclic ketone musk with no nitro group.

Q: How much should I use?

A: Use 0.05 to 0.5% as a booster, or 1 to 5% for a full musky base. Always dilute before evaluating.

Q: Is Muscenone good for attar and mukhallat?

A: Yes. Its animalic, Tonkin-like musk pairs beautifully with oud, amber and resins in oriental blends.

Q: How does it compare to natural deer musk?

A: Muscenone is a vegan, cruelty-free synthetic that captures much of the animalic warmth of natural Tonkin musk, and was historically evaluated as a deer musk substitute.