About musks…

Mewsikmaker

Mewsikmaker

Member
Mar 30, 2024
17
6
The short question: how do YOU work with musks? In what dosages for what types of formulas?

Aside from the obvious experimentation and trial/error I’ve been searching for literature on musks specifically. I find higher doses in darker blends work, but not always.

Research on formulas has lead me to find the same. Darker/woodier scents have more musk and in more TYPES of musk. Lighter freshies seem to have less, with some exception. Any good info out there about this?

(Also come to our discord. This post was a sneaky twofer: https://discord.gg/atB9GvKs4R)
 
Citroasis

Citroasis

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2021
658
565
I wouldn't say lighter freshies has less musks, it's the choice of which musk is what's important. You can easily do 20% Galaxolide or Ethylene Brassylate in a clean summer freshie. The reason it works so well in this context is because it's such a transparent and opaque musk.

Musk choice is more important than it's dosage amount. The dosage amount is merely dependent on what other materials you have in the overall composition to balance it with.
 
MelegPerfumes

MelegPerfumes

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2024
50
41
*This is a bit off topic, but I think it will be very beneficial.
If not to you, then likely someone else in the forum.

About Musks:"
First you must be able to "see" musks clearly. You must have a mental picture of them... you must be able to differentiate them from each other.

Here’s a little tip for getting the hang of white musks.


How to Smell White Musks Clearly:​

  1. Get a white musk: Choose any white musk
  2. Prepare hot water: Pour a steaming hot cup of water.
  3. Add dish soap: Put a dab of scentless dish soap into the hot water.
  4. Add white musk: Add a couple of drops of white musk into the hot, soapy water.
  5. Stir well: Mix the contents thoroughly.
  6. Empty the cup: Dump out the contents into the sink.
  7. Smell the empty cup: Take a whiff of the empty cup.


What happens here is that the hot water and soap break down the white musk, making it much easier to smell.

I discovered this process by accident, but it works wonders. This hot-soapy-water technique helps me to "see" or smell the musks much more clearly compared to smelling them straight or diluted.

Once you can clearly differentiate the white musks, selecting the right musk for any specific perfume formula becomes much easier.

Be awesome, be friendly
yours
Matthew Meleg


Question: What percentage? In a given commercial formula, typically Between 10 and 30 percent of the formula can be musks. But you're right, if the formula is already light, no need to use too many musks.

What's my favourite?
Depends on the formula, but in general I do like; Ethlene Brassylate, SIlvanone Supra, Exaltolide, Ambrettolide - so I like soft, silky sweet musks.
And if I'm making a vintage formula then Musk Ketone , of course.


Musks can be very powerful when combined with...
other musks
Ambroxan
Hedion HC
super ambers
slaycilates
ozone materials
cashmeran
muguet materials
 
MelegPerfumes

MelegPerfumes

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2024
50
41
Citroasis said:
I wouldn't say lighter freshies has less musks, it's the choice of which musk is what's important. You can easily do 20% Galaxolide or Ethylene Brassylate in a clean summer freshie. The reason it works so well in this context is because it's such a transparent and opaque musk.

Musk choice is more important than it's dosage amount. The dosage amount is merely dependent on what other materials you have in the overall composition to balance it with.
Click to expand...
galaxolide - great with fresh, green, floral, muguet, ozone, waxy green, hedione, fruity, citrus materials. all the bright, light stuff. yep yep.
 
Mewsikmaker

Mewsikmaker

Member
Mar 30, 2024
17
6
MelegPerfumes said:
*This is a bit off topic, but I think it will be very beneficial.
If not to you, then likely someone else in the forum.

About Musks:"
First you must be able to "see" musks clearly. You must have a mental picture of them... you must be able to differentiate them from each other.

Here’s a little tip for getting the hang of white musks.


How to Smell White Musks Clearly:​

  1. Get a white musk: Choose any white musk
  2. Prepare hot water: Pour a steaming hot cup of water.
  3. Add dish soap: Put a dab of scentless dish soap into the hot water.
  4. Add white musk: Add a couple of drops of white musk into the hot, soapy water.
  5. Stir well: Mix the contents thoroughly.
  6. Empty the cup: Dump out the contents into the sink.
  7. Smell the empty cup: Take a whiff of the empty cup.


What happens here is that the hot water and soap break down the white musk, making it much easier to smell.

I discovered this process by accident, but it works wonders. This hot-soapy-water technique helps me to "see" or smell the musks much more clearly compared to smelling them straight or diluted.

Once you can clearly differentiate the white musks, selecting the right musk for any specific perfume formula becomes much easier.

Be awesome, be friendly
yours
Matthew Meleg


Question: What percentage? In a given commercial formula, typically Between 10 and 30 percent of the formula can be musks. But you're right, if the formula is already light, no need to use too many musks.

What's my favourite?
Depends on the formula, but in general I do like; Ethlene Brassylate, SIlvanone Supra, Exaltolide, Ambrettolide - so I like soft, silky sweet musks.
And if I'm making a vintage formula then Musk Ketone , of course.


Musks can be very powerful when combined with...
other musks
Ambroxan
Hedion HC
super ambers
slaycilates
ozone materials
cashmeran
muguet materials
Click to expand...
This might be the most interesting thing I’ve heard today! I’ll try this out!
 
Mewsikmaker

Mewsikmaker

Member
Mar 30, 2024
17
6
Citroasis said:
I wouldn't say lighter freshies has less musks, it's the choice of which musk is what's important. You can easily do 20% Galaxolide or Ethylene Brassylate in a clean summer freshie. The reason it works so well in this context is because it's such a transparent and opaque musk.

Musk choice is more important than it's dosage amount. The dosage amount is merely dependent on what other materials you have in the overall composition to balance it with.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. It’d be nice to have a repository with some musk info on it. It seems to be a gray area of perfumery (as if any other weren’t gray).
 
C

Culpa Ire

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2022
630
736
Seeburg said:
Do you really think it makes a difference if you spray Galexolide on your skin, take a shower. Doesn't it get into the water? What's the big difference? What about detergents, endless "white musk". I don't understand this logic.
Click to expand...
I suspect Pavomi's point is a response to the amount of times folk in this forum claim that the level of use of, say, Galaxolide in perfumery is so minuscule so as to be insignificant. This is a fallacy - if something doesn't break down then every tiny particle matters regardless of how it enters the environment.

Tipping your waste or failed experiments down the drain is irresponsible and naive at best. Doing it to test musks or any other material is just plain stupid.
 
C

Culpa Ire

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2022
630
736
Seeburg said:
well okay, hand on heart, what exactly do you do with the productions that went wrong? Simple question.
Click to expand...
I pour them into a 5ltr plastic container that used to house IPA and, when full, take it to the local tip where they have a hazardous waste receptacle.

They probably just tip into the ocean, tho... /cynic
 
D

Deleted member 26370152

Guest
Entf.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
D

Deleted member 26370152

Guest
Entf.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Edhelien

Edhelien

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2023
277
365
I bought a commercial formula a couple of days ago for something quite dark with literally zero musks. Surprising, isn't it? They are not compulsory.
They either do what you want from them... or they don't.
 
ambrinolforthechildren

ambrinolforthechildren

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2024
96
122
Culpa Ire said:
I pour them into a 5ltr plastic container that used to house IPA and, when full, take it to the local tip where they have a hazardous waste receptacle.

They probably just tip into the ocean, tho... /cynic
Click to expand...
Organic solvent waste will typically be burned for energy production/powering plant equipment. Anything containing halogenated solvents is buried. So, at least it is used and the ecotoxic/non-biodegradable parts will be converted, mostly, to char, carbon oxides and water - it's worth doing it properly like this.

This may certainly be different in nations with less stringent pollution regulations where it is more common to dump waste into river systems.
 
C

Culpa Ire

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2022
630
736
ambrinolforthechildren said:
Organic solvent waste will typically be burned for energy production/powering plant equipment. Anything containing halogenated solvents is buried. So, at least it is used and the ecotoxic/non-biodegradable parts will be converted, mostly, to char, carbon oxides and water - it's worth doing it properly like this.
Click to expand...
My comment about dumping it in the ocean was TiC; I'm only a little bit cynical about this sort of thing and have looked into it enough to satisfy myself that they deal with it in a responsible manner.

Thanks for the extra info, though - always interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Jean Pancrace
Can't seem to make Javanol and musks work together
Replies
10
Views
1K
pkiler
pkiler
F
Best friends of Petitgrain
Replies
7
Views
746
Feuer
F
D
French/Middle Eastern Perfumery
Replies
4
Views
1K
jfrater
jfrater
jfrater
Formulas Guerlain Derby 1985, Free Formula
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
qm1936
Q
jfrater
Formulas L'Heure Bleue Extrait Free Formula
2
Replies
21
Views
4K
_delayed
D

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
272,552
Messages
5,232,806
Members
214,449
Latest member
Gail1210

Share this page

Top