N/A — synthetic molecule (patent expired, now generic)
Pyramid
Base
Warm wool pressed against skin on a cold morning. Cashmeran smells like the inside of a cashmere sweater — dry, slightly spicy, with a musky-woody undertow that outlasts most base notes.
Warm, enveloping, velvety-musky with a clean woody backbone. A faint spicy-fruity quality appears on first contact — camphor filtered through clean wool — before settling into a persistent, almost tactile warmth. Drier than Iso E Super, softer than Atlas cedarwood, with none of the metallic edge of Habanolide. Compared to Galaxolide, Cashmeran reads warmer and less laundry-clean; compared to natural musk tincture, it is lighter and entirely non-animalic.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Soft spicy-fruity flash — camphor, dried fruit, a hint of pepper — over a velvety musky warmth. Clean wool heated by body temperature.
After a few hours
After a few hours
The spice recedes. Pure musky-woody warmth remains: smooth, enveloping, wide sillage. A faint sweetness persists underneath, almost lactonic.
After a few days
After a few days
A persistent, gentle woody-musk glow. Barely perceptible but still detectable at 48 hours on fabric. One of the most tenacious synthetic base notes available.
The Full Story
Cashmeran (DPMI, 6,7-dihydro-1,1,2,3,3-pentamethyl-4(5H)-indanone, CAS 33704-61-9) is a synthetic indanone musk. John B. Hall synthesized it while investigating pentamethylindane structures at a fragrance laboratory in the late 1960s. The molecule appeared as an unintended by-product during gas chromatographic analysis of another compound. US Patent 3,773,836 was filed on August 18, 1969 and granted in 1973. The patent has long expired; Cashmeran is now a generic molecule produced by multiple manufacturers at high purity (≥97%).
The smell sits at an unusual intersection: musky yet woody, warm yet clean. Full-strength, it has a velvety, faintly fruity-spicy quality — not animalic like civet-derived musks, not powdery like Galaxolide. Imagine dry wool heated by body warmth, with a quiet sweetness underneath. Diluted below 1%, it becomes almost entirely textural — adding volume, radiance, and intimateness to whatever surrounds it, without announcing itself.
At 206.33 g/mol, the molecule is heavy enough for genuine base-note persistence. It melts at 27°C — effectively a waxy solid at room temperature that liquefies on skin contact, producing a slow, wide diffusion. Substantivity reaches 48 hours at full concentration. The boiling point is approximately 256°C, though decomposition has been observed at lower temperatures.
Hall also invented Iso E Super. Between the two molecules, he defined much of the textural vocabulary of late-twentieth-century perfumery: Iso E Super for transparent, almost subliminal woody-amber radiance; Cashmeran for musky-woody warmth with body and grip. Where Iso E Super hovers, Cashmeran clings.
This note in Première Peau.Albâtre Sépia · Doppel Dänçers · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Cashmeran was discovered by accident. John B. Hall detected it as an unintended by-product on a gas chromatograph while working on an unrelated pentamethylindane compound in the late 1960s. Hall went on to invent Iso E Super as well — making him responsible for two of the most structurally important synthetic molecules in contemporary use. The patent (US 3,773,836) was filed August 18, 1969.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Fully synthetic. No natural equivalent exists. The original synthesis proceeds via oxidation of pentamethyltetrahydroindane in the presence of a cobalt naphthenate catalyst, yielding the target indanone. Multiple synthetic routes are now available from various manufacturers. Commercial-grade Cashmeran is typically ≥97% pure. The molecule was originally a captive ingredient (patent US 3,773,836, filed 1969, granted 1973); the patent expired decades ago, making it a generic aroma chemical available worldwide.
Molecular Formula
C14H22O
CAS Number
33704-61-9
Botanical Name
N/A (synthetic molecule)
IFRA Status
Restricted. IFRA Standard 028 (Amendments 49/51) sets category-specific concentration limits based on dermal sensitization and systemic toxicity data. Limits range from 0.0063% (Category 1, lip products) to 9.4% (Category 12, non-skin contact). Fine fragrance falls under intermediate categories with corresponding restrictions.
Synonyms
CASHMERAN · CASHMERE WOOD · DPMI · INDANONE MUSK
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
48 hours at 100.00%
Appearance
colorless to pale yellow semi-solid to solid
Boiling Point
~256.00 °C (decomposition observed at lower temperatures)
Flash Point
201.00 °F. TCC (93.89 °C.)
Specific Gravity
0.95400 to 0.96200 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.49700 to 1.50200 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point
27.00 °C
In Perfumery
Cashmeran functions as a base-note fixative and volume builder. It extends the longevity of heart notes without altering their character — an olfactory amplifier rather than a distinct accent. In amber and amber accords, it replaces or supplements natural ambergris warmth. In woody-musk compositions, it provides the cashmere texture that gives skin-scent fragrances their tactile quality. Structurally, it bridges musk softness with woody architecture. It blends with Iso E Super, Ambroxan, sandalwood (natural or synthetic alternatives such as Javanol), and vetiver. The molecule is stable in alcohol, oil, and solid formats. It does not discolor. IFRA restricts Cashmeran by product category (Standard 028, Amendments 49/51), with concentration limits ranging from 0.0063% (lip products) to 9.4% (non-skin contact). In fine fragrance, typical dosage runs from traces to 2%.
