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Wet Plaster

Q: Is Wet Plaster natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Not a natural extract. Wet plaster is a composed accord using mineral-alkaline, chalky, and faint sulfurous materials to replicate the smell of setting calcium sulfate plaster..

NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD / earthy · metallic · fresh

Wet Plaster

Category	NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	earthy · metallic · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — mineral/construction material
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	N/A — conceptual accord
Pyramid	Base

Mineral, alkaline, chalky. Fresh plaster on a wall — calcium sulfate drying, releasing a cold, dusty-sweet alkaline smell with zero organic warmth.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Cold, mineral, alkaline-chalky, with a faint sulfurous edge. Drier than wet stone, less earthy than clay, with a specific construction-site quality. The alkalinity is gentle, not caustic. A dusty-sweet undertone comes from the calcium sulfate. No organic warmth whatsoever — this is a purely inorganic smell.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Cold mineral-alkaline burst, faintly sulfurous

After a few hours

Dry, chalky, inorganic quality

After a few days

Barely perceptible mineral residue

The Full Story

Wet plaster (fresh gypsum plaster, calcium sulfate dihydrate) has a particular mineral-alkaline smell that is immediately recognizable to anyone who has lived through renovation. The scent comes from the chemical reaction between plaster powder and water, releasing trace amounts of sulfur dioxide and volatile calcium compounds.

The smell is cold, chalky, and faintly sweet-alkaline — entirely inorganic. It is the smell of construction, new rooms, and fresh surfaces. As plaster dries (a process that can take weeks), the smell slowly fades as water evaporates and the calcium sulfate fully sets.

In perfumery, wet plaster belongs to the mineral and architectural note family. It carries new interiors, renovation, and the specific atmosphere of empty rooms before they are lived in.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Plaster of Paris gets its name from the large gypsum deposits in the Montmartre district of Paris. When gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) is heated to 150 degrees C, it loses three-quarters of its water to become hemihydrate plaster. Adding water reverses the reaction — the plaster 'sets' by recrystallizing, generating heat in the process.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Not a natural extract. Wet plaster is a composed accord using mineral-alkaline, chalky, and faint sulfurous materials to replicate the smell of setting calcium sulfate plaster.

Molecular Formula	N/A — primarily calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO₄·2H₂O
CAS Number	N/A — building material, not a single substance
Botanical Name	N/A — mineral/construction material
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	plaster, cement, fresh plaster
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid

In Perfumery

Wet plaster is a conceptual mineral note used in architectural, renovation-themed, and abstract compositions. Built from mineral-alkaline materials, chalky-dry synthetics, and a trace sulfurous edge. Functions as a background modifier providing cold, inorganic texture. Pairs with concrete, chalk, and paint-type notes in architectural-themed fragrances.