CIVETTONE

Civettone, also written civetone, is a musk molecule with a warm animalic character. It can bring a musky presence to floral, powdery or other animalic compositions, with its prominence shaped by the surrounding ingredients. It is one of the materials used to build a civet effect, rather than a complete recreation of civet on its own.

Chemically, it belongs to the macrocyclic ketones, molecules with a large ring structure. Civetone occurs in natural civet secretions, which contain other aromatic components too; synthetic civettone is also manufactured for perfumery. Its natural occurrence and its synthetic production are therefore compatible facts. A named civettone note does not establish an animal source, and it should not be treated as a synonym for whole civet secretion or a particular blended civet base.