Woody

Guaiacol

Note Profile

Natural

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 colorless to pale yellow oily liquid and functions primarily as a powerful base note modifier.

Scent Profile

Olfactorily, guaiacol has a strong **smoky** and **phenolic** character reminiscent of wood fire, creosote and smoked foods, with a distinct medicinal tinge.[2][8][9] At lower dosages it reveals softer **vanillic**, woody and slightly spicy aspects that can suggest tea-rose and balsamic warmth.[1][6] At higher levels the burnt and tarry facets dominate, producing an intense charred, leathery and somewhat medicinal impression with good tenacity.[1][2][6]

Citrus 0%

Floral 5%

Fruity 5%

Green 0%

Sweet 25%

Warm 45%

Woody 75%

Earthy 25%

Animalic 15%

Fresh 5%

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.[1][5] Today it is produced mainly by synthetic methods, often via methylation of catechol derived from petrochemical phenol, yielding a high-purity aroma chemical suitable for fragrance use.[1][5] It is a clear to pale straw-colored oily liquid with CAS number 90-05-1 and INCI name GUAIACOL.[2][5][6]

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.[1][2][6] 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, blackcurrant, stone fruits and vanilla, or subtly warm floral accords like hyacinth, ylang‑ylang, narcissus and rose.[1][2][6] It acts mainly as a base-note modifier, lending long-lasting phenolic warmth, but must be dosed carefully to avoid overpowering the composition or causing instability in alkaline products such as soap.[1][2]