Clearwood (CAS 259854-70-1) — Woody Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Clearwood
CAS 259854-70-1
What Is Clearwood?
Clearwood is a modern synthetic fragrance ingredient that replicates the scent of aged, polished wood without the variability of natural sources. You’ll encounter it in high-end woody perfumes and home fragrances. This versatile material matters because it provides perfumers with a consistent, sustainable alternative to rare or environmentally sensitive natural woods, allowing for precise scent creation while reducing ecological impact.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Clearwood Smell Like?
Clearwood delivers an ultra-clean, almost luminous woody character – imagine sunlight filtering through the grain of freshly sanded cedar planks. Unlike natural woods that can carry resinous or smoky facets, this synthetic marvel presents a pure, polished wood essence with subtle ambery undertones. The scent evolves remarkably linearly, maintaining its crisp wood signature throughout the dry-down while gaining a faint vanillic sweetness that prevents it from feeling austere. Exceptionally diffusive yet never overwhelming, it creates an impression of architectural precision in fragrance compositions.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as the structural backbone, Clearwood provides the fragrance with its signature sleek, modern woodiness that contrasts beautifully with iris and honey notes.
Blended with synthetic sandalwood accords, Clearwood adds dimensional stability and a contemporary edge to this cult favorite woody fragrance.
Clearwood forms the transparent foundation that allows multiple wood notes to shine without becoming muddy or overwhelming in this complex woody composition.
Provides the crisp, clean wood facet that grounds the fragrance, complementing the marine and herbal notes without dominating them.
Modern reformulations use Clearwood to enhance the sandalwood accord while maintaining the fragrance’s meditative, zen-like quality.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CC1C\C=C\CCCCCCCCC(=O)C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Clearwood belongs to the class of synthetic woody odorants, specifically designed to mimic the most desirable aspects of precious woods without their natural variability. While its exact molecular structure remains proprietary, it’s known to contain carefully balanced woody-ambery molecules that create its characteristic smooth, polished wood effect. The synthesis involves advanced organic chemistry techniques to achieve both olfactory purity and stability. Unlike natural wood extracts that contain hundreds of compounds, Clearwood’s precisely controlled composition ensures batch-to-batch consistency while eliminating potentially problematic constituents found in nature.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Flash Point | >100 °C |
| Refractive Index | 1.485-1.505 (20°C) |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 5-15% | Up to 25% | Woody foundation builder |
| Home Fragrance | 10-20% | Up to 30% | Long-lasting wood effect |
| Personal Care | 1-3% | Up to 5% | Clean wood accent |
| Functional Products | 0.5-2% | Up to 3% | Subtle woody modifier |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use Clearwood as a transparent base to amplify other woody materials without adding weight or darkness to compositions.
Alternatives & Comparisons
When a more intense, dry woody character is needed, though lacks Clearwood’s smoothness and versatility.
For a naturally derived woody alternative with green-woody facets, though less clean and more variable.
When a creamy sandalwood nuance is desired alongside the clean wood effect.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. IFRA, REACH, EU Cosmetics Regulation standards update periodically. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating. Not legal or regulatory advice.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions currently apply to Clearwood (as of 54th Amendment).
RIFM Assessment
RIFM has evaluated Clearwood and found it safe for current fragrance use levels.
Sustainability
As a synthetic material, Clearwood offers significant sustainability advantages over natural wood extracts. It requires no deforestation, has consistent production yields, and eliminates the ecological impact of harvesting rare trees. The manufacturing process has been optimized for energy efficiency and minimal waste generation. While synthetic, its long-lasting character means less material is needed compared to some natural alternatives, further reducing environmental footprint.
Explore Clearwood
Browse essential oils and aroma compounds.
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References
- Firmenich SA. (2015). Clearwood: A Sustainable Woody Note for Modern Perfumery. Perfumer & Flavorist. Industry Publication
- International Fragrance Association. (2021). IFRA Standards Library. IFRA Standards
- Research Institute for Fragrance Materials. (2019). Safety Assessment of Modern Woody Materials. RIFM Assessment
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Report a data errorPhysicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID60888265
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 222.372 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.932 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 258 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 29.742 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 134 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.447 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 258.142 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 5.064 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 5.064 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 5.064 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 7.38 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.007 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 4.749 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 29.449 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 140.15 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 17.07 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 69.007 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 27.356 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
