Woody

Guaiacol

Note Profile

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About

Guaiacol is a synthetic and naturally occurring aroma chemical known for its smoky, woody and slightly vanilla-like scent. In perfumery it is used to recreate campfire smoke, charred wood, leather and toasted nuances with a smooth phenolic warmth. It appears as a colourless to pale yellow oily liquid and functions primarily as a powerful base note modifier.

Scent Profile

Olfactorily, guaiacol leads with a phenolic character - creosote, antiseptic gauze, iodine, the dental clinic - carried on a strong smoky impression of wood fire and smoked foods. At lower dosages it reveals softer vanillic, resinous and slightly spicy aspects. At higher levels the carbolic and tarry facets dominate, producing an intense medicinal, faintly leathery impression with good tenacity.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeBase · ~24h lasting

Family Woody & Earthy

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can use this material directly to make Guaiacol.

Guaiacol smoky · medicinal · phenolic

Smell words come from published sources.

A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else.

Origin

Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) is a catechol derivative first identified from guaiacum resin and can be obtained in small quantities by distillation of wood creosote. Today it is produced mainly by synthetic methods, yielding a high-purity aroma chemical suitable for fragrance use. It is a clear to pale straw-coloured oily liquid with CAS number 90-05-1.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use guaiacol in trace to low percentages to introduce smoky, charred and leathery nuances into woody, leather, oriental and gourmand compositions. Typical usage levels in fine fragrance range from traces up to about 0.5-2% of the concentrate, where it can support notes of leather, castoreum and vanilla. It acts mainly as a base-note modifier, lending long-lasting phenolic warmth, but must be dosed carefully to avoid overpowering the composition.