Animal ingredients of natural origin are prohibited today in the perfume industry, the most important of which are civet musk, beaver musk, deer musk, and lint musk. Natural animal scents were used in the perfume industry, and some flowers, such as jasmine, naturally contain some animal notes and are called indole, which can be isolated and used by perfumers. to enhance other notes.
History of animal ingredients
Animal ingredients were discovered around 330 B.C. by Alexander the Great and were very useful to perfumers, who appreciated the strength of their scents as well as their excellent staying power. Animal ingredients were already known by the Egyptians in ancient times (Cleopatra herself especially valued the scent of civet). .
At the beginning of the century, almost all perfumes were made of animal ingredients and they contributed to the strength of longevity, adding refinement to perfumes and a distinctive aromatic base. The scent of civet was used in men's and women's perfumes.
The smell of the raw ingredient is quite strong, but it softens once combined with other notes like rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang for example, often improving the consistency of the fragrance, while bringing an almost aphrodisiac sweetness.
Nowadays, the presence of musk is becoming less and less in the perfume industry because it no longer corresponds to the desires of consumers who value scents less than before.
What is civet ?
It is a small, carnivorous mammal that resembles a marten and is native to Ethiopia. It is also known as the "Abyssinian cat". The animal produces secretions in the form of fat in the perianal region, which they use to mark their territory.
To extract this fat, scraping (a painful process for the animal) was performed approximately every ten days, while farmers raised civet in cramped cages and for a period of time major brands tried to set up farms to raise civet in cages but they were exposed by local activists for this. This method did not work and it was later banned, and because of the difficulty in obtaining this fat, its price is very high.
The different uses of civet
The production of this raw material came mainly from Ethiopia, and many farmers used to live by raising civet cats, and it suddenly changed when public opinion changed and the international community became criminalizing the extraction of fat from it, which the media and environmental scientists pointed out. Ethiopians use pure civet oil and apply it to themselves on his wedding nights, and it was a rare and appreciated perfume. Civet fat is preserved in buffalo horns, which allows it to be preserved for a longer time and contains approximately 400 grams to one kilogram of fat. At first it is in the form of a soft paste, and then, over time, it hardens, making it easier to transport.
Civet smell
The smell of civet musk is very repulsive (dirty), animalic and strong with (fecal) features, God bless you. It is treated with a volatile solvent and immersed in alcohol. It is a technique for preserving civet fat in a hot liquid (oil or alcohol).
In the 1970s, the actions and campaigns of animal advocates encouraged most perfume makers to abandon its use.
Today, civet musk has been replaced by industrial civettone products or by accords created by the perfumer. It usually consists of a mixture of several animal and industrial raw materials and natural plant materials that emit animal odors. It could be from jasmine flower or cumin Landry, but the apothecary determines that.
Civet musk adds animal notes to the fragrance, suggesting sensuality, animalism, and sexuality. And if its doses are good and coordinated in a perfume, it will be interesting in chypre perfumes or oriental perfumes.
Sometimes in perfumery, the ingredients with the most unpleasant (dirty) scents are the ones that enhance the smell of cleanliness.
In niche perfumes, it is possible to smell animal scents or animal influences, but they are tight and sustainable. Dirty smells are not the enemy of beauty sometimes.
