Animal musk was one of the animal raw materials used in the perfume industry, including civet musk, beaver musk, whale musk, lint musk, and Tibetan deer musk. Some types of natural musk were banned in the perfume industry, and there are many alternatives to avoid using these natural animal ingredients. .

History of animal observations

In 330 BC musk was discovered by Alexander the Great, and animal ingredients were used extensively by perfumers, who believed in its strong scent and resistance to evaporation.

Even when associated with light and delicate scents, animal ingredients have been used in very small quantities in perfumes, and they have given so much refinement to aromatic scents, that their presence is not noticed.

Animal ingredients were used by some Egyptian tribes at the time, and were particularly present in the vast majority of perfumes at the beginning of the twentieth century. These very powerful ingredients were used as fixatives, combined with base notes (they evaporate very gradually and prolong the scent), animal notes were used to give the perfume a very sensual aspect.

What is animal musk?

Musk is a substance secreted by the abdominal glands (an organ located between the navel and the penis) of the male Tibetan musk deer and appears during the breeding season. There are three types of musk deer: Siberian musk, Himalayan musk, and black musk.

musk chevrotain

It is similar to a roe deer and has a length of 80 to 100 cm, a height of 50 to 70 cm at the withers, and a weight between 10 and 17 kg. Only the male is hunted, and the female is unable to produce musk.

Musk deer were hunted intensively in the 1960s and 1970s. It was very profitable (the price of musk was from 300 to 400,000 francs per kilogram), in addition, the Tibetans used animal skin to make small bags, and its fur was intended for stuffing the best mattresses and pillows used by the Chinese emperors. In Asia, this substance is still in great demand, and it is believed to have aphrodisiac properties. The diluted liquid was drunk through a straw (pipette) and was served in local bars as well. They say the substance has curative properties against impotence, and will be effective in reducing Heart problems This is why musk is often associated in people's minds with the concept of sensuality, vigor and alertness.

Protect mux

Even if protected today, as they are currently endangered, musk deer are unfortunately still poached illegally.

However, security measures have been taken in the musk trade as it is governed by the Convention on International Trade that deer producing musk are endangered species (CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) signed in Washington on 03/03/1973. The aim of this agreement is to establish global controls on the trade in wild animals and plants and their products. This agreement was implemented in France in 1978.

Moreover, in 1988, a deer sanctuary was established in China to obtain musk without killing the animal, and an animal can provide musk 10 to 12 times in its life. It is recommended to extract musk once a year on deer that are 2.5 to 8 years old.

However, despite all these efforts to preserve the existence of musk deer, it seems that breeding was not a good solution. In fact, musk deer is considered a single species that does not reproduce well in reserves and captivity. Moreover, overcrowding among female deer leads to the outbreak of fighting between Males, and it has also been proven that musk deer, whenever they are free, produce better musk.

The use of animal musk in the perfume industry

animal musk and white musk

The smell of synthetic musk used in perfumery is close to the smell of black coffee, or even flowers (do not confuse it with the smell of animal musk, it is very strong, a little grassy), in order to avoid any confusion, synthetic musk is called white musk, and the musky components ( or white musk) are essential ingredients in perfumes.

Musk extraction technology

The musk is extracted by lubricating the bag (musky), and a kind of silver spoon is inserted to extract the grains gently. However, this method that was practiced in the past was not very satisfactory, and it is practiced on the animal without anesthesia.

The use of musk lotion in the perfume industry

In order to use it in perfumes, animal musk was processed in the form of solutions of musk grains, it was necessary to prepare cold solutions, and these components are improved by placing them in a container and keeping them for at least 18 months. Muscone is the characteristic component of natural musk (existing from 0.5% to 2%).

Trade characterizes different qualities of musk:

• Tonkin Musk * (caught in China, Tibet, Mongolia and Kashmir)
• Assam Musk
• Musk Kabardin (lower quality, four times less potent than Tonkin musk)
• Tawpee Musk

* Tonkin musk is a type of musk found in deer located in the Himalayas, and lives at an altitude of more than 2000 meters in northern India. This type of deer was introduced to Europe to live, and it feeds on leaves, flowers, mushrooms, algae and lichen.

Fake animal musk

The musk was very interesting from a profitable point of view, and as a result, bags were made containing the fake musk by skilled hands. The bag was opened and the precious product was emptied and filled with fake ingredients such as (earth, dry blood, liver, dry hair, dung, lead pieces, leaves steeped tea ...), and it was sold at first in the form of bags, and then it was sold in the form of pills.

Musk has a honey-like consistency and a reddish-brown color that hardens quickly as soon as it comes out of its bag. High-quality musk is soft to the touch and blackish-brown in color. Good quality musk sacs produce 70% of the musky grains, while the bad type produces 40-60% of the musky grains.

Many molecules were found in animal musk, which made it possible to obtain many musky ingredients cloned and called white musk, and white musk is not forbidden, but regulated.

Many animal ingredients are prohibited and prohibited internationally, according to the Fund for Nature Life (WWF), and unfortunately some posters are still promoting their use of these ingredients for the purpose of marketing, especially manufacturers in the Middle East that are directed to local production.

Today, many alternatives exist to avoid having to use these natural animal notes, such as:

• Industrial musks, including Muscone
• Animal ingredients found in jasmine: indole
• Paracresol
• Floral musks such as ambrette (okra seed)
• Some botanical leaves, which have slightly "dirty" features such as cumin, labdanum, sage, Atlantic pine, hyssop, osmanthus, leather notes, etc.