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Wool

Q: Is Wool natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: No direct extraction for perfumery. Lanolin is extracted from raw wool by scouring but used in cosmetics, not fragrance. Wool scent is reconstructed..

NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD / earthy · warm · woody

Wool

Category	NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	earthy · warm · woody
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — animal fiber (Ovis aries, sheep)
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Australia, China, New Zealand
Pyramid	Base

Warm, animalic, slightly fatty. A worn wool sweater: lanolin richness, faint sheep musk, and comforting warmth of keratin fiber retaining body heat.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Warm, waxy, faintly animalic. The lanolin richness of sheep fiber. Less clean than cotton, more textured than cashmere. A comfortable, worn-in warmth with slight fatty undertone.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Warm lanolin-waxy richness

After a few hours

Animalic warmth softens into cozy comfort

After a few days

Persistent warm, skin-close, slightly fatty trace

The Full Story

Wool is keratin fiber from sheep coated in lanolin, a complex mixture of esters, alcohols, and fatty acids. Raw wool is distinctly animalic; clean wool retains a softer version.

The characteristic smell involves lanolin esters, short-chain fatty acids, and absorbed environmental compounds. Wet wool activates different volatiles, producing the wet dog variant.

In perfumery, wool is an accord concept reconstructed from animalic musks, lanolin-adjacent waxy notes, and warm skin-like bases.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. 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?

Lanolin is technically a wax, not a fat. It is the closest animal product to human sebum in composition, which explains why wool smells faintly human.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No direct extraction for perfumery. Lanolin is extracted from raw wool by scouring but used in cosmetics, not fragrance. Wool scent is reconstructed.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture (lanolin esters, cholesterol esters)
CAS Number	8006-54-0 (lanolin, from wool grease)
Botanical Name	N/A — animal fiber (Ovis aries, sheep)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	SHEEP FLEECE · LANOLIN
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid

In Perfumery

Heart-to-base modifier providing textile warmth with animalic undertone. Built from lanolin-adjacent waxy notes, animalic musks, and warm skin-like bases. Adds cozy, lived-in character.