GALAXOLIDE® PURE IFF – clean, sweet and powdery white musk note with a hint of fresh cotton, powder and washed skin

CAS 1222-05-05. Musky-floral-woody. A pure, powerful, and versatile isochromic musk with exceptional longevity and a superior olfactory quality that approaches macrocyclic musks in tone. It adds longevity and a trail to the fragrance. One of the freshest and most intoxicating musks. It combines with other musky notes to accentuate their nuances. Among musks, it is classified as milky musk. It is used in concentrations up to 50%. It is used in detergents, fabric softeners, and laundry products. It is often used as a substitute for all other musks when the formulation is modified. It is frequently diluted with solvents, as it is very viscous. Benzyl benzoate, isopropyl myristate, ethyl triacetate, and dipropylene glycol are used. Like other polycyclic musks, Galaxolide is not biodegradable and causes environmental pollution problems. Galaxolide® contains several asymmetric carbon atoms that give rise to multiple enantiomers.

Therefore, the Galaxolide® used in perfumery is actually a mixture of at least seven isomeric molecules with different volatilities. Galaxolide® and Tonalid® are the main isomers and have a fairly similar structure. Both have a relatively similar odor, as they belong to the same family of musks. Together with Hedione, Methyl Ionone Gamma, and Iso E Super, in roughly equal proportions, they form the key component of the so-called "Grossman accord"—the perfumer himself called it the "hug me" accord: one of the most influential accords in contemporary perfumery. Sofia Grossman first developed the accord for the perfume she created for herself. It became dominant in women's perfumes after being included in a series of highly commercially successful fragrances in the early 1990s: first, and most notably, in Tresor Grossman (Lancôme, 1990), then in Spellbound (Lauder, 1991), Casmir by Michel Almérac (Chopard, 1991), Dune by Maurice Roger (Dior, 1991), and so on. In addition to its diffuse, linear, and immediately recognizable character, the accord is extremely transparent and versatile: even in large doses—sometimes over three-quarters of the formula—the accord's characteristic effect can be incorporated into an almost unlimited range without overwhelming the surrounding notes. The accord also adapts well to changes in the proportions of its components, further expanding its potential uses while still retaining much of its characteristic scent. A case in point is Tresor itself: its gedione content is approximately one-third that of the other three ingredients. The clarity of the accord stems from the clarity of the four ingredients themselves. Galaxolide is a prime example: it is an extremely potent musk, with an odor detection threshold similar to that of Muscenone, arguably the most potent non-captive macrocyclic musk. However, despite this efficiency, Galaxolide allows other ingredients to emerge even in extreme overdoses—for example, at a concentration above 40% of the formula. For those who wish to avoid polycyclic musks entirely, Romandolide is the closest olfactory alternative to Galaxolide.