Open almost any modern formula and you will meet the same handful of synthetic molecules. They are the invisible scaffolding of contemporary perfumery — providing radiance, warmth and longevity that naturals alone cannot.
Iso E Super
A soft, velvety cedar-amber with an almost transparent quality. It adds volume and a skin-like radiance, blends with everything and is famously used in overdose for that abstract 'blur'. It is the single most common material in our database.
Ambroxan (Ambrox / Ambroxide)
The dry, mineral-ambergris workhorse behind countless 'ambery' and 'aquatic-woody' bestsellers. Enormously powerful, tenacious and diffusive — a fraction of a percent lifts an entire base.
Hedione
A methyl dihydrojasmonate with a fresh, airy jasmine-magnolia transparency. It doesn't smell loud, but it makes other notes bloom and radiate, which is why it appears in such huge proportions in modern florals and fresh compositions.
Cashmeran, Galaxolide and the musks
Musks and ambery woods like Cashmeran give a formula its soft, clean, enveloping drydown and its cling to fabric and skin. They are the reason a scent is still there hours later.
On Fragrance Analyzer, every one of these materials has its own page with usage statistics, dosage ranges and the fragrances that feature it — so you can see exactly how the pros use them.