Home › Glossary › Figolide

Figolide

Q: Is Figolide natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Fully synthetic. Chemical synthesis of the lactone structure..

FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND NUTS / creamy · warm

Figolide

Category	FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND NUTS
Subcategory	creamy · warm
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — synthetic aromachemical (macrocyclic lactone)
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Manufactured globally
Pyramid	Heart

A lactonic molecule associated with fig effects. Milky, green, slightly creamy -- the sap of a fig leaf.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Milky, lactonic, and gently green. The scent is creamy and soft -- like the white sap that bleeds from a freshly broken fig stem. Less sweet than coconut lactones, less fruity than peach lactones. A vegetal creaminess that reads as 'living plant' rather than 'baked goods.' Slight woody undertone in the drydown.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Milky green creaminess, fig sap

After a few hours

Soft lactonic warmth, vegetal undertone

After a few days

Gentle creamy residue, faint woody base

The Full Story

Figolide is a synthetic lactone used in perfumery to create fig-related effects. Lactones -- cyclic esters formed when an alcohol and carboxylic acid group unite within the same molecule -- are central to recreating the smell of fig in perfumery, which depends on a combination of green stemmy notes and milky, sap-like creaminess.

The fig accord in perfumery relies on two key elements: a green, minty freshness (often provided by stemone) and a lactonic, milky sweetness (provided by molecules like gamma-octalactone and related compounds). Figolide contributes to the second element -- the creamy, sap-like quality that makes fig smell like fig rather than just generic greenery.

The molecule is used in combination with green materials to build naturalistic fig accords, as well as in creamy-green, tropical, and Mediterranean-inspired compositions.

This note in Première Peau. Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: Fig

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The smell of fig trees depends almost entirely on synthetic chemistry to reproduce. No single natural extract captures the full fig experience -- perfumers must layer green, milky, woody, and fruity molecules to reconstruct what the nose perceives as a simple, natural scent.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Fully synthetic. Chemical synthesis of the lactone structure.

Molecular Formula	C₈H₁₄O₂
CAS Number	214335-70-3
Botanical Name	N/A — synthetic aromachemical (macrocyclic lactone)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow liquid

In Perfumery

Figolide functions as a modifier and building block in fig accords, creamy-green compositions, and Mediterranean-inspired fragrances. Combined with stemone or green aldehydes, it reconstructs the complete fig-tree experience: leaf, stem, fruit, and sap. Also useful in tropical and coconut-adjacent compositions where lactonic creaminess is needed without overt sweetness.