Castoreum

At a glance

Castoreum is a natural animalic raw material harvested from the castor sacs of beavers, giving a warm, leathery, smoky‑musky base note used in leather accords.

Where natural raw materials actually come from → · Why some materials get IFRA-restricted →

Origin

Synthesized in laboratories; historically derived from beaver glands, now rarely used

Extraction

Chemical synthesis

Chemical family

phenolic compounds (phenols, benzoates, lactones)

Profile

Warm, leathery, slightly smoky animalic scent

IFRA status

Regulated, category-dependent IFRA limits typical of synthetic animalics

Cost tier

Medium