Exaltolide

✦ Premium macrocyclic lactone musk with clean, skin-warm character
✦ Exceptional fixative — extends longevity of entire fragrance composition
✦ Used in iconic perfumes including Chanel No. 5 and Narciso Rodriguez For Her
✦ Biodegradable and considered one of the safest musk families
✦ Non-discoloring and stable in soap, detergent, and alkaline bases
✦ Powerful sillage projector with diffusive radiance
✦ 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and synthetic — no animal-derived musk

Exaltolide is the trade name for Pentadecanolide, a 16-membered macrocyclic lactone first synthesized in the early 20th century as a sustainable alternative to natural musk macrolides found in angelica root and ambrette seed. Firmenich introduced Exaltolide to the perfumery world as one of the earliest commercially viable macrocyclic musks, paving the way for the modern clean-musk category. It quickly became a cornerstone of feminine and unisex perfumery for its ability to mimic the warm, intimate scent of clean human skin.

What makes Exaltolide special is its molecular architecture. The large ring structure produces a softer, more rounded, and far more elegant musk profile than nitro or polycyclic musks like Galaxolide or Tonalide. It carries less sweetness, less powdery weight, and a more transparent radiance, which is why master perfumers use it to create the impression of skin glow. It also serves as an outstanding fixative, anchoring volatile top and heart notes without overpowering them.

Rabibazaar supplies cosmetic-grade Exaltolide suitable for fine fragrance, attar and mukhallat blending, functional fragrance, body care, candles, and high-end home fragrance applications.

SCENT DESCRIPTION : Soft, clean, warm musk with a luminous skin-like radiance. Subtly sweet and powdery without heaviness, with hints of waxy floral, dry ambrette, and a velvety smoothness. There is a faint cosmetic creaminess and an almost photographic clean-laundry purity. The overall impression is intimate, breathable, and elegantly modern.

NOTE POSITION : Base
FRAGRANCE FAMILY : Musk · Clean · Skin Musk
FACETS : Clean · Powdery · Skin-Warm · Waxy-Floral · Radiant
TENACITY : Very High — 24 to 48 hours on skin, longer on fabric
SILLAGE : Medium — soft projection with persistent, intimate diffusion

Chemical Name : 15-Pentadecanolide (Oxacyclohexadecan-2-one)
CAS Number : 106-02-5
Synonyms : Pentadecanolide, Cyclopentadecanolide, Exaltolide, ω-Pentadecalactone
Purity % : ≥ 98% (verify with supplier CoA)
Appearance : White to off-white waxy solid or crystalline mass; melts to a clear liquid above approx 32–35°C
Odor Threshold : Very low — detectable in trace amounts
Solubility : Soluble in ethanol, DPG, IPM, fixed oils; insoluble in water
Specific Gravity : approx 0.94 (verify with supplier CoA)
Flash Point : approx 165°C (verify with supplier CoA)
Type : Synthetic — Macrocyclic Lactone Musk

Fine Fragrance — ★★★★★
The defining application. Exaltolide is a backbone musk for floral, white floral, woody, oriental, and modern clean compositions, providing fixation, radiance, and that signature skin-warm finish.

Attar & Oriental Blending — ★★★★★
Excellent in mukhallats, oudh blends, and rose attars where a clean, breathable musk lift is needed. It softens animalic raw materials and adds modern transparency to traditional formulas.

Functional Fragrance — ★★★★★
Outstanding in fabric softeners, detergents, and laundry care due to its substantivity on cloth and clean musk halo. It survives wash cycles beautifully.

Cosmetics — ★★★★☆
Performs very well in lotions, creams, and deodorants, lending a soft cosmetic skin musk. Slight melting point consideration in cold-process applications.

Home Fragrance — ★★★★☆
Strong fixative in reed diffusers and candles. In candles it benefits from blending with more volatile musks to ensure balanced cold and hot throw.

Typical Usage Rates

EDP : 1.0 — 8.0%
EDT : 0.5 — 5.0%
Body Lotion : 0.2 — 1.0%
Shampoo/Body Wash : 0.1 — 0.5%
Candle : 0.5 — 3.0%
Reed Diffuser : 1.0 — 4.0%
Soap (Tablet) : 0.5 — 2.0%

IFRA 51st Amendment

Pentadecanolide is generally not restricted under standard IFRA category limits and is one of the most freely usable musks across all 11 IFRA categories. Always verify current limits at ifrafragrance.org as standards are updated periodically.

⚠️ Avoid overdosing in candles — heavy macrocyclic musks can mute brighter top notes if used above optimal levels.
⚠️ Pre-melt gently before weighing if working in cooler climates where it solidifies.

Method 1 — Direct Solid Use
Warm the bottle in a water bath at 40°C until fully liquid, then weigh into your concentrate. Cools and re-solidifies in the bottle without quality loss.

Method 2 — 50% Solution in DPG or Perfumer's Alcohol
Pre-dilute to 50% in DPG or ethanol for easier dosing in small batches. Most professional perfumers keep Exaltolide as a 50% working solution.

Method 3 — Co-Melted Musk Accord
Melt together with Habanolide, Ambrettolide, and Muscenone to create a complete macrocyclic musk base that can be added 5–15% into any composition.

BEST PAIRINGS

Iso E Super → Adds woody radiance and amplifies skin-glow effect
Hedione → Creates the classic luminous floral-musk skin accord
Habanolide → Builds a fuller macrocyclic musk base with extra lift
Ambrettolide → Adds fruity-pear nuance and softens edges
Cashmeran → Produces a velvety modern cashmere-musk drydown
Rose Absolute → Modernizes traditional rose into a clean radiant rose
Sandalwood (Mysore or Sandalore) → Creamy skin-musk drydown for attars
Ambroxan → Skin-clean amber-musk pairing for niche compositions
Galaxolide → Boosts clean laundry effect in functional fragrance

AVOID

Avoid pairing as the only musk in heavy gourmand or animalic oudh compositions where its softness may be lost. Combine with more assertive musks like Muscone or Civettone in those cases.

Exaltolide is the musk I reach for when I want a fragrance to feel like skin rather than perfume. It is the quiet hero behind so many legendary feminines and modern unisex compositions, doing its work invisibly while everything else gets the credit. Its beauty lies in restraint — it never shouts, but it ensures the entire formula breathes and lingers.

ADVANCED TIP
Build a luminous skin-musk module by combining Exaltolide 40%, Habanolide 25%, Ambrettolide 15%, Iso E Super 15%, and Hedione 5%. Add this module at 8–15% of your final concentrate to instantly give any fragrance — floral, woody, oriental, or fougère — a luxurious modern skin-glow drydown reminiscent of high-end niche releases.

Physical State : White waxy solid; liquefies above 32–35°C
Skin Safety : Considered low irritation potential at fragrance use levels
Eye Contact : Avoid contact; rinse thoroughly with water if exposed
Ingestion : Do not ingest; not for food or oral use
Ventilation : Work in well-ventilated area when handling warm or melted material
Storage : Store in a cool, dark place between 15–25°C in tightly sealed container
Shelf Life : 24–36 months when stored properly
Container : HDPE, glass, or aluminium; avoid prolonged contact with reactive metals
Flammability : Low — flash point approx 165°C; non-volatile under normal conditions

Q: Why is my Exaltolide solid in the bottle?
A: It is naturally a waxy solid below approximately 32°C. Warm the bottle in a 40°C water bath for 10–15 minutes to liquefy before weighing.

Q: Is Exaltolide vegan and cruelty-free?
A: Yes. It is fully synthetic, biodegradable, and contains no animal-derived material. It is the modern ethical replacement for natural deer musk.

Q: How much should I use in a perfume?
A: For fine fragrance, 1–8% in concentrate is typical. Start at 3–5% and adjust based on the desired musk weight and fixative strength.

Q: Will it discolor my soap or lotion?
A: No. Exaltolide is non-discoloring and stable in alkaline soap bases and emulsion cosmetics, which is one reason it is so widely used in functional products.

Q: How does Exaltolide compare to natural ambrette seed musk?
A: Ambrette is fruitier, more pear-like, and softer, while Exaltolide is cleaner, more radiant, and far more economical. Many perfumers use both together for a complete macrocyclic musk effect.

Professional formulation workflow

Exaltolide should be evaluated in a controlled small batch before production. Confirm the supplied grade, active concentration and recommended application range from the current supplier documentation. Weigh accurately instead of measuring by drops, record every adjustment, and compare the modified trial against an unchanged control.

Compatibility and quality checks

Test the ingredient in the actual alcohol, oil, surfactant, emulsion or wax base intended for sale. Observe clarity, separation, color, odor and performance immediately after mixing and again after a suitable resting period. A material that looks stable in a concentrate can behave differently in the finished formulation.

Scale-up and safety

Convert percentages into exact batch weights and verify the final consumer-product concentration before scaling. Follow the latest applicable IFRA, cosmetic, chemical and supplier safety documentation for the intended category. Use appropriate protective equipment, ventilation and clearly labeled containers, and retain a sample from every approved batch for quality comparison.