Sweat
NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD / musky · earthy · warm
Sweat
| Category | NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD |
| Subcategory | musky · earthy · warm |
| Origin | |
| Volatility | Base Note |
| Botanical | N/A — olfactory concept |
| Appearance | N/A — conceptual accord (no standard physical form) |
| Odor Strength | Medium |
| Producing Countries | N/A — olfactory concept |
| Pyramid | Base |
Sharp, sour, distinctly human. Fresh sweat is faintly saline and nearly odorless. Stale sweat is acrid with isovaleric acid and androstenone. Between repulsion and attraction lies the most intimate smell.
Scent
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Fresh saline warmth, nearly neutral
After a few hours
After a few hours
Sour-acidic body character or intimate-musky at controlled dose
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent skin-warm trace at perfumery dosage
The Full Story
Did You Know?
Did you know?
Androstenone perception is genetically determined: one-third find it pleasant (woody-musky), one-third find it repulsive (urinous), and one-third cannot smell it at all.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: No extraction. The sweat impression is created from cuminaldehyde, costus-type synthetics, and musks.
| Molecular Formula | N/A — olfactory concept |
| CAS Number | N/A — olfactory concept (key component: isovaleric acid CAS 503-74-2) |
| Botanical Name | N/A — olfactory concept |
| IFRA Status | No known restrictions |
| Synonyms | perspiration, human scent |
| Physical Properties | |
| Odor Strength | Medium |
| Lasting Power | > 200 hours |
| Appearance | N/A — conceptual accord (no standard physical form) |
In Perfumery
Subliminal animalic modifier. Cuminaldehyde provides sweat-adjacent warmth. Costus-type synthetics suggest skin intimacy. Dosage is everything.
