Was musk a medicine, a cardiotonic and a cholera preventative!?

　Musk is used today as an ingredient in perfumes, but originally musk was used as animal-based medicine obtained from the male glandular sacs of the musk deer.

Musk, which is believed to have been used since prehistoric times, is used as a medicine in China and is considered very expensive. It is said to be effective in preventing cholera, mental fatigue and asthma, and was also used as an aphrodisiac.

I do not know much about pathology, but it certainly seems that the original musk has unique power.

Roles of musk as a fragrance

　The original aroma of musk as an animal fragrance has the so-called unpleasant smell of “ammonia + animal odor”. When dried and dissolved, musk can be added in small quantities to enhance the other scents and to give breadth and depth. It also gives more longevity.

Musk also has a “warm and sexy” nuance, as it is a pheromone substance of male musk deer to attract females during the mating season.

However, musk is not sold on the current market. In the past, musk-deer was slaughtered in large quantities only to get musk. However, nowadays, from the viewpoint of preservation of spices and animal rights, trade in musk is prohibited under the Washington Convention.

Rise of synthetic musk to save musk deer

　As a replacement for natural musk, which is regulated by Washington convention, modern research and development of synthetic fragrances has led to the creation of numerous synthetic musk fragrances.

Synthetic musk has come a long way and now accounts for more than 2% of all synthetic fragrances, and as much as 7% in terms of transaction value. Incidentally, “white musk,” which is often heard in recent years, is a generic term for synthetic musk to distinguish it from natural musk.

　Synthetic musk is used not only in perfumes, but also in room fragrances, detergents, soaps, bath salts, etc… If we include those that contain a hint of musk to make the fragrance last longer, then it is used in an even wider variety of fragrance products. Musk is such a familiar fragrance in our lives.

The magic of Cyclopenta Decanolides

　Musk is especially popular among women. French scientist Jacques Le Magnen proved in experiments that women are more sensitive than men to the smell of musk.

According to the experiment, mature women show strong response to the musk-like odorant cyclopenta-decanolide (commonly known as muscon). Men and girls, on the other hand, hardly notice it at all. Furthermore, the results of the experiment showed that the amplification of estrogen, a female hormone, enhanced the perception of muscone.

　Although natural musk and synthetic musk are not the same, recent developments in chemistry have made it possible to create musk with a molecular structure that is nearly identical.

　Cleopatra the queen of Egypt in BC, who was said to have changed the course of history if her nose had been a little shorter, was a master of using perfume and used musk extensively. There is an anecdote that says she seduced Antonius, a powerful man in Roman times.

Did Cleopatra use it as an aphrodisiac or a tool to elevate mood…or did she use it to sustain her beauty or believed its medicinal effects to wish for immortality…? This is one of those stories that keeps expanding my imagination.

Lastly,

We at Art Lab offer musk scents「ARTLAB.COLLECTION – Musk savon」and「LES COULEURS – Flower Diffuser MUSK & MUGUET」There are also other products that use various nuances of musk fragrances. Why don’t you try the samples to see the differences and find your favorite fragrance?

See you again in the next issue of FRAGRANCE LAB.BLOG – Fragrance Etc.