A warm, leathery synthetic with saffron-like spiciness and tobacco depth. Safraleine bridges spice and leather without being either: it smells like the space between a saffron thread and a cured hide.
Warm, leathery, and spicy-saffron with tobacco and rose ketone qualities. The complexity is the signature: multiple qualities emerge simultaneously rather than sequentially. More velvety than sharp, more warm than cool. Less specifically saffron than safranal, more broadly spicy-leathery. Persistent and radiating.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Warm spicy-saffron burst, leathery
After a few hours
After a few hours
Tobacco-rose ketone depth, velvety warmth
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent warm leathery-spicy base
The Full Story
Safraleine (CAS 54440-17-4, 2,3,3-trimethyl-2H-inden-1-one) is a proprietary synthetic molecule created by a major aroma-chemical supplier. It provides a warm, spicy-leathery character with saffron-like qualities and remarkable persistence in the heart and base of compositions.
The molecule is a high-impact material requiring very low dosage (typically below 1% in formula). Its complexity is notable: it delivers warm leather, tobacco, rose ketone-like florals, and saffron spice simultaneously. This multi-faceted character makes it valuable for building amber, leather, and spicy compositions with a single material.
In perfumery, Safraleine functions as a heart-to-base modifier providing cost-effective alternatives to natural saffron (a expensive spices) and traditional birch tar leather. It works in amber, leather, spicy, and tobacco compositions. The molecule's substantivity and radiance make it useful in compositions requiring long-lasting warm depth.
This note in Première Peau. Insuline Safrine · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Natural saffron requires approximately 150,000 hand-picked Crocus sativus flowers to produce one kilogram of dried stigmas. At current prices exceeding 10,000 EUR per kilogram, natural saffron is impractical for most perfumery applications. Safraleine provides authentic saffron-leather character at a fraction of the cost.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Synthetic manufacture by a major aroma-chemical supplier. 2,3,3-Trimethyl-2H-inden-1-one, an indenone derivative. Not extracted from any natural source.
Molecular Formula
C₁₂H₁₄O
CAS Number
54440-17-4
Botanical Name
N/A — synthetic molecule
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
Safraleine
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
High
Appearance
Yellow to amber liquid
Boiling Point
250.00 to 252.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point
248.00 °F. TCC ( 120.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity
1.01500 to 1.02500 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.53200 to 1.54200 @ 20.00 °C.
In Perfumery
Safraleine is a a major aroma-chemical supplier synthetic providing warm spicy-leathery character in amber, leather, and tobacco compositions. Low dosage (below 1%), high impact. Bridges saffron-spice and leather families. Provides cost-effective depth that would otherwise require expensive natural saffron or restricted birch tar. Multi-faceted: leather, tobacco, saffron, and rose-ketone simultaneously.
