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Cyclopentadecanolide

Q: Is Cyclopentadecanolide natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by lactonization of 15-hydroxypentadecanoic acid. The synthesis of macrocyclic musks is technically challenging — forming large rings is inherently difficult in organic chemistry — which makes them more expensive than polycyclic musks. However, improved synthetic routes have reduced costs over the past two decades..

MUSK, AMBER, ANIMALIC SMELLS / musky · clean · sweet

Category	MUSK, AMBER, ANIMALIC SMELLS
Subcategory	musky · clean · sweet
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A - synthetic macrocyclic musk (Exaltolide)
Appearance	Colorless solid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Switzerland, China, Germany
Pyramid	Base

Clean, musky-sweet with a warm, animalic undertone. Cyclopentadecanolide smells like warm skin after a bath — soft, musky, slightly powdery, effortlessly natural.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Clean, soft, warm musk. Slightly animalic — closer to natural musk than polycyclic musks. Sweet-powdery with a woody undertone. More natural-smelling than Galaxolide, less aggressive than musk ketone, warmer than Helvetolide. The skin-musk quality is its defining character. Persistent and substantive — excellent tenacity on skin and fabric.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Soft, clean musk opening. Warm, slightly animalic, skin-like.

After a few hours

Sweet-powdery heart. Woody undertone develops. Natural musk character deepens.

After a few days

Persistent warm-musk base. Skin-intimate. Excellent longevity on fabric.

The Full Story

CAS 106-02-5. A macrocyclic musk lactone — a 15-membered ring lactone that is one of the closest synthetic analogues to natural muscone in olfactory character. Also known as Exaltolide (a trade name).

The scent is clean, musky, and natural-smelling, with a warm, slightly animalic quality that distinguishes it from polycyclic musks (Galaxolide, Tonalide). There is a sweet, powdery quality and a faint woody undertone. The molecule reads as 'skin' — the warm, clean musk of freshly bathed skin. It is a natural-smelling musks available.

Cyclopentadecanolide belongs to the macrocyclic musk family — large-ring lactones and ketones that biodegradable and environmentally preferable to polycyclic and nitro musks. Their superior environmental profile has driven increased adoption in 'clean' and 'green' formulation trends.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Cyclopentadecanolide was one of the first macrocyclic musks synthesized — in the 1920s by Leopold Ružička, who won the 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry partly for this work on macrocyclic compounds and terpenes.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by lactonization of 15-hydroxypentadecanoic acid. The synthesis of macrocyclic musks is technically challenging — forming large rings is inherently difficult in organic chemistry — which makes them more expensive than polycyclic musks. However, improved synthetic routes have reduced costs over the past two decades.

Molecular Formula	C15H28O2
CAS Number	106-02-5
Botanical Name	N/A - synthetic macrocyclic musk (Exaltolide)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Exaltolide, Macrolide C15, Pentalide
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	> 400 hours at 10.00%
Appearance	Colorless solid
Boiling Point	137.00 °C. @ 2.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	> 220.00 °F. TCC ( > 104.44 °C. )
Melting Point	34.00 to 38.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Base note and fixative in skin-scent, musky, and clean compositions. Cyclopentadecanolide provides natural-smelling musk character with excellent longevity. It is used in skin-scent compositions, clean-musky bases, and as a fixative that adds warm, intimate depth. As a macrocyclic musk, it is biodegradable and increasingly specified by brands committed to environmental responsibility. Pairs with ambroxan, white musks, sandalwood, and transparent florals.