A working reference for perfumers

The Fragrance Material Index collects what you need to know about a raw material before you weigh it: how it smells and how that impression develops, how long it holds on the blotter, what it is chemically, and how far it may be dosed under the IFRA Standards. Aroma chemicals, essential oils, absolutes and solvents are described the same way, so two candidates for the same accord can be compared line by line.

What every entry contains

A written odor description, the note tier (top, heart or base), odor impact and tenacity, three olfactory descriptors, CAS number and INCI name, molecular formula and weight, boiling, melting and flash point, density, refractive index, vapour pressure, logP and solubility. Regulated materials additionally carry their IFRA maximum concentration for all eighteen product categories, the restricted components they contain, and the substances that must appear on the label under Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation.

How to read the figures

The values are guide values gathered from public reference works and supplier declarations. Natural materials in particular differ between batches, origins and qualities, so the data sheet of your own supplier is always the authoritative document for the material you actually use.

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