MUSCENONE® FIRMENICH – velvety, sensual and persistent musky note

Muscenone is a macrocyclic musk used in all types of refined perfumes, especially musky, chypre, leather, and rather heavy and warm notes. It adds volume when mixed with other musks.
It is slightly more effective than muscone and has a similar structure.
The molecule has a double bond that leads to two possible diastereomers with similar odors. It is precisely the mixture of the two isomers that is used in perfumery; Sandela, Cedramber, and Ambroxan are constitutional isomers of Muscenone. However, their odors are very different, being woody and ambery, rather than musky. Velvione, on the other hand, has a relatively similar structure to Muscenone and is its constitutional isomer. This explains the musky appearance common to both molecules.
It is stable in perfumes and functional bases.
A very good and universal musk, with a smell reminiscent of musk ketone and muscone.
Muscenone is one of the most potent and commercially available (unwild) macrocyclic musks, whose odor detection point is as low as that of Galaxolide.
A very elegant smell of nitro musk, reminiscent of musk ketone, with a slight animalic but natural nuance.
A very powerful musk with two facets. At low doses (0.05% to 0.5%) it is a fragrance enhancer. Above this level, it is used for its musky character, in addition to its uplifting effect. It has extraordinary substance-rich properties on fabrics, hair, and skin, imparting a musky, powdery, and cosmetic-like softness.
Muscenone delta is a strong animal musk, of the Tonkin type, which plays a role in the odor of the natural product, perhaps more important than Muscone.
The same thing happens when we inhale the scent of a rose, where the scent of damascone and beta-damascone is almost as strong as the scent of beta-phenylethyl alcohol or citronellol, although they are present in trace amounts. Muscenone delta smells like the most animalic part of deer musk powder or musk absolute, if produced. All these unsaturated macrocyclic musks are incredibly potent, and the accords that were once created by mixing cresols with Exaltolide or Muscone are now much more subtle and elegant with the use of Muscenone delta or chemically related products.
It is widely used in perfumes such as Bulgari for Men.