Waxy, faintly herbaceous, with a quiet amber warmth. Drier than ambroxide, less radiant, with a subtle vegetal edge similar to of clary sage stems. On blotter, it reads as a soft resinous film — not declarative, just present. Closer to beeswax than to tree resin.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Faint herbaceous waxiness, barely perceptible green edge
After a few hours
After a few hours
Soft amber warmth, dry and resinous, clary sage residue
After a few days
After a few days
Quiet waxy film, nearly scentless but still present on fabric
The Full Story
Sclarene is a triterpene hydrocarbon (C30H50) isolated from clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Its odor sits between ambery warmth and a faint herbaceous dryness — less sweet than ambroxide, more vegetal, with a quiet waxy undertone. It smells like the residue left inside a still after distilling clary sage absolute.
The molecule is obtained as a byproduct of sclareol processing. Sclareol, extracted from clary sage, is the precursor to ambroxide (Ambrox). During that conversion, sclarene forms alongside other terpenic byproducts. Its CAS number is 511-02-4. It is a high-boiling compound with low vapor pressure, which gives it excellent tenacity on skin and on blotter.
In formulation, sclarene functions as a fixative and background ambery note. It lacks the radiance of ambroxide but provides a quiet, diffusive base that supports other materials without drawing attention. Perfumers use it to extend the dry-down of compositions and to add a natural-feeling warmth to synthetic amber accords.
Sclarene shares its carbon skeleton with squalene, the lipid found in shark liver oil and human sebum. Both are C30 triterpenes, which is why clary sage derivatives often have a skin-like quality.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Sclarene is a byproduct of the industrial conversion of sclareol (from clary sage, Salvia sclarea) into ambroxide. It is isolated during the chemical processing of sclareol via acid-catalyzed degradation. Not directly distilled from plant material.
Molecular Formula
C₂₀H₃₂
CAS Number
511-02-4
Botanical Name
N/A - synthetic molecule (derived from Salvia sclarea)
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
High
Lasting Power
24 hours
Appearance
Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Boiling Point
337.00 to 338.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point
305.00 °F. TCC ( 151.67 °C. )
In Perfumery
Sclarene operates as a fixative and low-level ambery modifier. It does not project strongly but extends the life of a dry-down, particularly in woody and amber compositions. It bridges natural clary sage materials with synthetic amber molecules like Ambrox and Ambroxan. Useful in fougere and chypre bases where a quiet herbaceous-amber undertone is wanted without adding sweetness. It belongs to the same sclareol-derived family as Ambrox but sits lower on the radiance scale — a utility material rather than a signature one.
