Polysantol ® (FCH)

Synthetic Ingredient Overview

• 🔎 Chemical name — 4-Penten-2-ol, 3,3-dimethyl-5-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopenten-1-yl)

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Firmenich

• 🧪 Synonyms — Polysantol®, tertiary sandalwood alcohol

• 🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₄H₂₆O

• 📂 CAS N° — 107898-54-4

• 📘 FEMA — Not assigned

• ⚖️ MW — 222.37 g/mol

• 📝 Odor type — Woody (sandalwood)

• 📈 Odor Strength — High

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Creamy, rich, diffusive sandalwood; smooth and musky with lactonic warmth

• ⚗️ Uses — Used to replace or reinforce sandalwood effects in fine fragrance, especially in modern woody, amber, and creamy floral bases

• 🧴 Appearance — Clear, colorless liquid

What is Polysantol®?

Polysantol® is a high-performance synthetic aroma chemical engineered to mimic the olfactive signature of natural sandalwood (Santalum album). Its structure—a saturated aliphatic tertiary alcohol with a substituted cyclopentene ring—results in low volatility and high substantivity. Unlike older synthetic sandalwood alternatives, Polysantol® performs across all fragrance phases and is highly stable in alcohol and functional bases.

Initially introduced by Firmenich, it became part of their strategic portfolio of sustainable and cost-effective woody materials, offering perfumers a solution that is both efficient and regulation-compliant, with minimal batch variability.

Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Applications

Polysantol® is widely used in:

• Sandalwood accords (as main body or modifier)

• Oriental and gourmand perfumes

• Modern woody bases with amber or musk

• Creamy florals like jasmine, tuberose, frangipani

• Milky and lactonic musks

Olfactory behavior:

• Emerges in top and heart, anchors the base

• Strong synergistic behavior with Iso E Super, Javanol, Brahmanol, Ambrettolide

• Up to 2 weeks longevity on blotter, ideal for long-wearing compositions

Its diffusivity and olfactive breadth make it suitable for complex blends and linear perfumery structures where longevity and skin-compatibility are essential.

Industrial and Technical Uses

Polysantol® is used mainly in:

• Fine fragrance concentrates (0.1–10%)

• Cosmetics and personal care products (creams, lotions, haircare)

• Soaps and functional perfumery, thanks to excellent bloom and stability

Solubility — Lipophilic, alcohol-soluble
Stability — Good oxidative stability, stable in emulsions
Boiling Point — ~290 °C
Flash point — >100 °C

It is less sensitive to pH changes and maintains olfactive clarity in high surfactant environments.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

• IFRA — Yes, restricted

  • Category 1 (leave-on oral) — Max 0.031%

  • Category 4 (fine fragrance) — Up to 4%

• EU 1223/2009 — Not among declarable allergens

• ECHA classification:

  • H411 — Very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects

  • Not classified as a skin sensitizer

• REACH registered — Compliant with EU substance regulations

• Shelf life — ≥24 months under standard storage conditions

Despite its strong performance, Polysantol® must be formulated with care to respect IFRA limits and avoid environmental release, especially in aquatic systems.

Environmental & Sustainability Aspects

• Origin — Fully synthetic

• Biodegradability — Not readily biodegradable

• Aquatic toxicity — H411 classification: toxic to aquatic life

• Sustainability — While not biodegradable, its high impact at low dosage offsets material volume

• Substitution role — Replaces endangered natural sandalwood sustainably

Polysantol® helps reduce demand for natural Santalum album, which is ecologically sensitive and increasingly protected by international trade laws.

Sources

• Firmenich – Ingredient Sheet for Polysantol®

• Scentree – Polysantol® Ingredient Profile

• IFRA Standards (Amendment 51)

• ECHA Substance Information – CAS 107898-54-4

• Vigon International – SDS and Technical Sheet

• Scentspiracy Team and Fulvio Ciccolo