Musk

At a glance

Musk in modern perfumery is a synthetic material engineered to reproduce the clean, skin-like scent once sourced from the musk deer, a practice banned under CITES.

Origin
Synthesized in laboratories; historically derived from the musk deer, now banned
Extraction
Chemical synthesis
Chemical family
Musk
Profile
Clean, warm, skin-like scent with soft powdery facets
IFRA status
Regulated, category-dependent IFRA limits typical of synthetic musks
Cost tier
Low
● drafted · Sources: Botanical and extraction-method reference literature; IFRA Standards documentation· last checked 2026-07-16