Isovaleric acid

At a glance

Isovaleric acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid used in perfumery to add sweaty, animalic notes to fragrances It is valued by perfumers for this distinctive character and used as a building block within larger fragrance compositions.

Category
⚗️ Synthetic
Origin
naturally occurring in plants and animals, also synthesized
Extraction
Chemical synthesis
Chemical family
Acid
CAS number
503-74-2
Profile
sweaty, cheesy, pungent
IFRA status
Not restricted
● drafted · last checked 2026-09-01