Dihydromyrcenol

While perfumery is an ancestral art that once contented itself with distilling the scent of plants, fragrance-making methods have today greatly evolved. Chemistry now occupies a dominant place in the industry, and many molecules are integrated into current perfumes. In this respect, Dihydromyrcenol is a very commonly used synthetic ingredient.

What lies behind the unwieldy name Dihydromyrcenol?

Dihydromyrcenol was developed by the company International Flavors & Fragrances, otherwise known as IFF. It first appeared in the iconic 1975 perfume Azzaro pour Homme, where it made up 2% of the composition. Dihydromyrcenol has an immediately recognizable scent that is often present in men's perfumery. It is at once clean, fresh, difficult to describe, and yet highly distinctive. This molecule is essential to the woody fougère family of men's fragrances. It immediately brings a sense of cleanliness, both floral and fruity. Its olfactory facet is close to limetta while resting on an amber base. It leaves behind an impression of clean laundry and a scent similar to that of laundry powder. One need only close one's eyes for a moment to picture a man freshly out of the shower, wearing a white shirt, impeccably ironed and still unbuttoned.

The somewhat brash scent of Dihydromyrcenol

Many men admit that Dihydromyrcenol has a genuinely euphoric effect on them. Yet it must be dosed with perfect precision. Indeed, if too concentrated, Dihydromyrcenol can veer too close to the scent of soap. It then becomes overly contrived. In other words, Dihydromyrcenol demands a perfect mastery of the art of perfumery. On the olfactory level, Dihydromyrcenol is somewhat close to calone, another synthetic molecule, though one with more marine, iodic connotations. In other words, Dihydromyrcenol leaves behind a cleaner sensation and less of a sea water quality than calone. On the other hand, some deplore its metallic effect, which can feel more like a sensation of taste than of smell. If Dihydromyrcenol is not dosed sparingly, it can quickly come to resemble the same sensation felt when sucking a finger cut until it bleeds. Not very appetizing indeed! Everything then comes down to composition. To show itself at its best, Dihydromyrcenol must pass through the expert hands of a perfumer and be elevated by its surroundings. Nevertheless, the many fragrances containing this ingredient have proven that this is entirely possible.

Among the most iconic juices containing Dihydromyrcenol, many of you are among those who have already succumbed to the scent of Ck One by Calvin Klein as well as that of Cool Water by Davidoff.