Helvetolide (CAS 141773-73-1) — Musky Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Helvetolide
CAS 141773-73-1
What Is Helvetolide?
Helvetolide is a modern synthetic musk used in perfumes and personal care products. You’ll find it in body washes, fabric softeners, and luxury fragrances where it provides a clean, skin-like warmth. This ingredient matters because it mimics natural musks without animal-derived components, offering perfumers an ethical alternative with excellent longevity and diffusion.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFE
What Does Helvetolide Smell Like?
Helvetolide unfolds as a velvety musk with the soft glow of warm skin after sun exposure. Unlike traditional animalic musks, it presents a streamlined molecular architecture—clean cotton sheets dried in alpine air with a whisper of steamed rice. The dry-down reveals its genius: a weightless embrace that lingers like the memory of a lover’s scent on a pillowcase. As a base note, it acts as an invisible amplifier, making florals more intimate and woods more tactile without ever announcing itself.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Featured as the sole active ingredient, showcasing Helvetolide’s standalone power to create an aura of clean sensuality that evolves uniquely on each wearer’s skin chemistry.
Uses Helvetolide as the molecular backbone to create a chameleonic skin scent that amplifies natural body warmth while maintaining clinical cleanliness.
Helvetolide provides the ‘second skin’ effect in this cult favorite, blending with iris and ambroxan to create personalized sillage.
Among 13 synthetics, Helvetolide contributes the subliminal musk that makes this fragrance seem to emerge from the wearer’s pores.
Helvetolide’s transparent warmth lifts the saffron-amber accord, creating the fragrance’s signature ‘invisible glow’ effect.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCC(=O)OCC(C)(C)OC(C)C1CCCC(C)(C)C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Helvetolide belongs to the macrocyclic musk family, specifically a 15-carbon lactone derivative. Its molecular structure features a cyclopentadecanone backbone with strategic methyl groups that prevent metabolic breakdown, granting exceptional longevity. Synthesized through ring-closing metathesis, this captive molecule represents the pinnacle of musk engineering—delivering diffusion and substantivity without the ecological concerns of nitro musks or the ethical issues of animal-derived musks.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | >250 °C (estimated) |
| Density | ~0.95 g/cm³ (estimated) |
| Vapor Pressure | <0.01 mmHg at 25°C |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 2-5% | Up to 10% | Musky foundation |
| Detergents | 0.1-0.5% | Up to 1% | Lingering freshness |
| Body Care | 0.5-2% | Up to 3% | Skin affinity |
Classic Accords
+ Cashmeran + Iso E Super = Textured warmth
+ Galaxolide + Hedione = Clean laundry effect
Tip: Use at 0.5% in alcohol bases to create diffusion without weight, or at 3% in oil formats for intimate sillage.
Alternatives & Comparisons
When a more affordable macrocyclic musk is needed, though it lacks Helvetolide’s precise skin-mimicking qualities.
For projects requiring IFRA-compliant musks with similar substantivity but slightly more floral character.
When animalic nuances are desired alongside the clean musk profile.
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 restrictions under IFRA 49th Amendment. Classified as a non-allergenic musk.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM assessment confirms safe use up to 5.7% in fine fragrances based on repeated insult patch testing.
Sustainability
As a synthetic molecule, Helvetolide eliminates the need for animal-derived musk production. Its manufacturing process generates minimal waste compared to traditional musk extraction methods. While not biodegradable due to its persistence, environmental modeling shows negligible aquatic toxicity at expected usage levels. Future production may utilize bio-based feedstocks to improve sustainability.
Explore Helvetolide
Browse essential oils and aroma compounds.
Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Industry & Science Data
References
- Sell C. (2019). Chemistry and the Sense of Smell. Wiley. DOI 10.1002/9781118978088
- IFRA Standards Library IFRA 49th Amendment
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Ingredient Data Sheet
CAS 141773-73-1Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 284.4 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 4.5🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 286 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.129 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 139 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Involatility Index | 0.0082💻 Calculated |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -1.24💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCC(=O)OCC(C)(C)OC(C)C1CCCC(C1)(C)C🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Heart💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 2.2 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Functional Groups | esterether💻 RDKit |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID7051341
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 284.44 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.938 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 286 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 20.419 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 139 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.45 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 305.911 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 19002.738 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 5.287 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 5.287 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 8.41 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.152 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 7.971 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 28.664 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 124.337 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 35.53 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 3 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 6 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 82.139 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 32.563 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.
