Do perfumes still use ambergris?

Today, animal protection causes have banned the use of most animal notes in perfumery. Ambergris is still allowed, as it does not involve animal suffering. However, animal notes are less appreciated today than before.

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Ambergris

Ambergris is a concretion secreted by the sperm whale, with the appearance of a grey stone. It is rejected by the animal, floats to the surface and is then harvested. This animal raw material is very rare and therefore very expensive. Under no circumstances the sperm whale is harmed or killed to recover this material, so it is authorised.

It is one of the main natural animal notes, just like :

History of animal notes

Around 330 B.C., Alexander the Great discovered animal notes. From then on, these notes became very useful to perfumers. Indeed, the scents of animal notes are very strong, and resist evaporation much better than other raw materials. In the past, animal notes were notably used by the Egyptians and certain African tribes. At the beginning of the 20th century, almost all perfumes contained animal notes, which were then called fixatives. Very tenacious, these scents participated in the base notes of the fragrance (notes that evaporate slowly and allow the perfume to last over time) and above all gave a great sensuality to the perfumes. In fact, animal notes were present in very small doses in a perfume, they were associated with very subtle and light scents. They made the perfume sweeter, without their presence being noticed. Today, animal protection causes have banned the use of most animal notes in perfumery. Ambergris is still allowed, as it does not involve animal suffering. However, animal notes are less appreciated today than before.

What is ambergris?

Ambergris is a kind of stone secreted by the sperm whale. Indeed, the beaks of octopus or squid ingested by the animal can sometimes injure the walls of the sperm whale's digestive tract, causing lesions. To heal these wounds, the cetacean secretes a pebble-like substance that is expelled through natural channels. These concretions are then carried by currents and float to the surface. The longer the ambergris floats (ideally a few years), the better it will be. The material then ends up being washed up on beaches in New Zealand or Madagascar, or fished by a harvester.

The oxidation created by the seawater and the sun transforms this substance into a raw material that can be used in perfumery. Indeed, unoxidised ambergris does not have the desired smell and therefore has no commercial value. A visual check can determine whether the block has been oxidised: it transforms the dark black block, which has a soft consistency and a very unpleasant odour, into a harder stone, which is dark or light grey in colour and has a much more pleasant scent. For each purchase, a careful selection of blocks is made by the raw material company that still sells amber (there are very few of them). Each block is smelled individually and chosen according to its scent, sometimes very iodised, marine, or even warmer, very animalistic. The specialist will then be able to sell the blocks of raw amber, or to carry out an amber dyeing commonality. The commonality (assembly of different batches of the same natural essence, to ensure homogeneity) guarantees the quality of the amber note, just like the commonality of a rose or jasmine, for example.

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Some blocks of grey amber can be enormous, sometimes reaching more than 100 kg (although this remains exceptional). Ambergris is very rare (barely 5% of sperm whales secrete amber) and therefore very expensive. It is one of the most expensive raw materials in perfumery. In January 2013, a 3 kg block was found in England, and its value was estimated at over 100 000 euros.

History of ambergris

Already known to the ancient Egyptians, who used it as incense, ambergris has been traded in Europe since the 15th century. Marco Polo understood the importance of this material during his travels and thanks to the inhabitants of Madagascar, they called it the amber of the whales. In the 18th century, ambergris was more appreciated than animal musk in perfumery. Moreover, the material was used in chocolate for its invigorating and aphrodisiac virtues. At the time, it was said about a man that he was "as fine as amber", which meant that he was a good lover, Casanova apparently used it a lot. Back then, ambergris was also used to perfume gloves. At the time, when it was still being exploited, sperm whales also produced whale white, also called spermaceti or ketin. It was the basis of certain soaps, including Guerlain's sapocetis. Ambergris is not considered as an animal product and is therefore not listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Olfactive description of ambergris

Although ambergris is not visually very beautiful (the material has the appearance of a blackish grey stone, rather light, reminiscent of pumice stone), its scent is exquisite. It can have leathery, tobacco-like, woody or camphorated facets. Contrary to the civet, which is very "scatological" and almost unbreathable, the scent of dried ambergris is pleasant and becomes almost creamy. In the past, ambergris was synonymous with finesse, mystery and eroticism in a perfume. An ambergris of good quality can ignite and then reduce to a liquid with a golden colour, hence the name amber, reminiscent of fossilised resin.

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Some people say that the smell of fresh amber from a sperm whale that has been killed is of no interest smells very bad because it is not formed. Apart from the obvious ethical reasons, perfumers are therefore committed to preserve this animal.

Ambergris perfumes

Some fragrances contain natural ambergris. This is notably the case of very old fragrances, such as Mitsouko by Guerlain, but also of more recent perfumes, such as Ambre Nuit by Dior, Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens.

Ambergris and synthesis

The only synthetic raw materials with notes close to true ambergris are Firmenich's Cétalox and Ambroxan. Animal raw materials, with the exception of ambergris, are now banned in perfumery (following the action of WWF), for ethical reasons. Nevertheless, some labels continue to use them, such as certain Middle Eastern manufacturers, for local production.

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.

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