Evernyl

Identity

Atraric acid is a naturally occurring phenolic compound and ester with the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₂O₄. Veramoss is another of its names. The molar mass is about 196.2 g/mol and the melting point is 143–145 °C. It is classed among salicylate esters, methyl esters and lichen products.

Natural occurrence

Atraric acid occurs in the root-bark of Pygeum africanum and in Evernia prunastri, the oakmoss. Oakmoss is a species of lichen. Oakmoss is commercially harvested in South-Central Europe and usually exported to the Grasse region of France, where its fragrant compounds are extracted as absolutes and extracts.

Oakmoss and the chypre accord

Oakmoss absolutes and extracts are often used as perfume fixatives and form the base notes of many fragrances. They are also key components of Fougère and Chypre class perfumes. The lichen has a distinct and complex odour that can be described as woody, sharp and slightly sweet. Its use in perfumes is now highly restricted by International Fragrance Association regulations, and many scents have been reformulated in recent years with other chemicals substituted for oakmoss.

Chypre is the name of a family of perfumes characterised by an accord composed of citrus top notes, a middle centered on cistus labdanum, and a mossy-animalic set of basenotes derived from oakmoss. In the chypre accord, oakmoss is mossy and woody. The word chypre is French for Cyprus. The first composition to feature the bergamot-labdanum-oakmoss accord appeared in 1917, and its name was inspired by the fact that its raw materials came mostly from Mediterranean countries. The accord also contains patchouli, which is camphoraceous and woody, and musk, which is sweet, powdery and animalic and is usually synthetic today. The composition is usually enhanced with rose and jasmine. The chypre concept is recognised by a warm, mossy-woody base that contrasts with the fresh citrus top, and by a certain bitterness in the drydown from the oakmoss and patchouli.

Regulation and safety

The IFRA Standards library, at its 51st Amendment, holds no standard that matches the CAS number 4707-47-5 or the name evernyl.

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