Civetone

Synthetic Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Multiple industrial producers (synthetic origin)

• 🔎 Chemical name — Civetone

• 🧪 Synonyms — Civettone, 1-Cycloheptadecen-10-one

• 🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₇H₃₂O

• 📂 CAS N° — 542-46-1

• 📘 FEMA — 2316

• ⚖️ MW — 250.4 g/mol

• 📝 Odor type — Musk

• 📈 Odor Strength — High; recommended evaluation at 10% dilution

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Warm, musky, animalic, powdery, delicately sweet; highly diffusive and extremely tenacious

• ⚗️ Uses — Fixative and musky base note in floral, oriental, chypre, and aldehydic fragrances; civet reconstitution

• 🧴 Appearance — Colorless to pale yellow oily liquid

What is Civetone?

Civetone is a macrocyclic ketone and the principal odoriferous compound responsible for the musky scent of natural civet oil. Originally isolated from the glandular secretions of the African civet (Civettictis civetta), civetone is now produced synthetically, typically from precursors found in palm oil.

With its 17-membered ring structure, Civetone belongs to a unique class of large-ring musks, alongside muscone(from musk deer). These structures were elucidated in the early 20th century by chemist Leopold Ružička, laying the foundation for modern musk chemistry.

Although civet was once harvested through animal captivity, civetone today allows perfumers to evoke the same olfactory effect ethically and sustainably.

Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Applications

Civetone exhibits an intensely musky, warm, slightly sweet and animalic scent, becoming pleasant and diffusive at low concentrations. It performs in the deep base notes, providing exceptional tenacity, fixation, and skin affinity.

Functional roles include:

• Reconstructing natural civet notes in classical perfumery

• Fixative in floral (especially rose), chypre, oriental, and aldehydic formulas

• Adding sensuality and roundness to compositions

• Providing radiance and projection to delicate materials

Its inclusion is common in perfumes requiring persistence and warmth, even at levels as low as 0.05–0.1%.

Historical and Molecular Context

Civetone’s musky signature has influenced perfumery since antiquity. Alongside natural musk (from Moschus moschiferus), civet was among the earliest animal-derived ingredients used in high perfumery. Both materials acted as pheromonal fixatives, enhancing the lasting power and sensual appeal of fragrance blends.

The African civet ranges across sub-Saharan Africa, and its scent glands serve a vital social and reproductive role. Civet oil’s characteristic musky odor is the animal’s method of territorial communication—later repurposed into one of perfumery’s most valued aromatic effects.

Synthetic civetone replaced animal-derived sources starting in the 20th century, thanks to advancements in macrocyclic synthesis. Today, it offers a stable, cost-effective, and ethical way to achieve complex musky undertones.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

• IFRA: Civetone is not restricted under current IFRA Standards (51st Amendment), though dosage must be adapted per formula due to intensity.

• EU Allergen Listing: Not listed among declarable allergens under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

• FEMA GRAS: Listed under FEMA No. 2316 with a recommended limit of 0.0500 ppm in flavor use.

• ECHA: Registered under REACH. Not classified as hazardous under CLP Regulation.

• Toxicology: Non-mutagenic, non-carcinogenic, and low-irritation. Considered safe in fragrances at concentrations up to 0.1% in the concentrate.

• Flavors: Permitted in trace levels for specialty applications (e.g., exotic fruit, tobacco), though rarely used.

✅ Civetone is compliant with global fragrance and flavor safety standards and is preferred for ethical musky reconstructions.

Sources

• PubChem Compound Summary for CID 5315941 – Civetone

• IFRA Standards Documentation (51st Amendment)

• ECHA Substance Information – Civetone

• FEMA GRAS Database – FEMA 2316

• Arctander, S. Perfume and Flavor Chemicals

• Wikipedia – Civet & Musk Chemistry

• Fulvio Ciccolo – Scentspiracy Archive

• 3dchem.com Molecular Profiles