Ambergris and amber aroma in perfumery

Amber - "ambre" (English) or "amber" (French), the translation is the same - "amber". Ambergris is a substance that softens in the hands and melts at 60 ° C, and evaporates at 100 ° C. Ambergris dissolves in alcohol, essential oils, but not water. The main components of ambergris are amber, which is obtained by dissolving in hot alcohol, cholesterol and epicoprostanol. They are the ones that keep the volatile fragrances on the skin.

Ambergris - history.
A little bit about the history of ambergris. In the 10th century, this substance was brought to Spain from the island of Sunda, and as a gift from the Sultan to the ruler of Spanish Mauritania. At that time, ambergris was used for completely different purposes: as a laxative, antiseptic. It was used as a seasoning, and even amulets were made. And in the Middle Ages, ambergris was an indispensable component in many medicinal preparations. A description of this substance for 1839 has been preserved: ambergris is a miraculous and stimulating substance for the flesh, which gives vitality to the body.

Ambergris - origin.
On the shores of Africa, India, Brazil, China, pieces of amber were found black or brown. And she appeared from the stomachs of sperm whales. The fact is that sperm whales feed on squid. Swallowing them, irritation of the gastric mucosa occurs by the jaws of the prey, as a result of which ambergris begins to be secreted, which promotes the healing of ulcers. They learned about it in the nineteenth century.

Ambergris is collected, pieces weighing more than 300 kg come across, then dried and kept in a solution of alcohol. How long will it take for all these processes. A little, a lot - up to six years. Ambergris becomes gray or even white, and the smell is completely different. By the way, initially her smell was unpleasant (from the stomach after all). This is all about natural amber. But judge for yourself how long you will have to wait for this ambergris, and because of this substance, and for other reasons, the sperm whales are no longer alive. Rare animals are disappearing, which delight everyone with their strength and impressive size. And therefore, hunting unique animals has been prohibited since 1973, although this only applies to the United States. The main exporter is Morocco. And the price of ambergris for 1 gram is 450 euros.

Who can do it - such prices, and will our children see such rare animals? That is why it is worth saying, fortunately, that in 1950, Swiss chemists managed to obtain synthetic ambergris from clary sage, or ambroxide, which is even more durable than natural amber. Then they got ambergris from thuja, tansy and even from our most common steppe wormwood. And the manufacturing process takes only a few hours. Chemists have found that substances such as amberine and epicoprostanol keep odors persistent.

Some perfume manufacturers still prefer only natural amber. Amber scents are warm and sweet aromas, one might even say stuffy. Floral, fruity and other notes are used. And the alleged perfume composition was invented in 1829. It was based on ambergris, an alcohol blended with castor oil, cinnamon, rue oil, lemon, lavender, mint, cloves and marjoram.
Let's list some of the fragrances that include Ambergris:

Chanel No. 5
The most famous perfume for all women is Chanel №5, about the history of which we have already written.
So, the top notes of the sound of these perfumes are bergamot, ylang-ylang, neroli, aldehydes, middle notes are iris, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, the final notes are amber, vanilla, musk, patchouli.

Givenchy, L'Interdit de Givenchy
This perfume was created in 1957 for Audrey Hepburn, the muse of Hubert Givenchy, with whom he had a friendship for the rest of his life.
Top notes are aldehydes, strawberry, mandarin orange, peach, bergamot, middle notes are iris, jasmine, violet, narcissus, ylang-ylang, final notes are amber, sandalwood, benzoin, vetiver.

Yves Saint Laurent, Opium
Perfume of Yves Saint Laurent (Yves Saint Laurent) - perfume of 1977.We will not describe all the notes of the magnificent sounding of these perfumes, let's simply say - these are the perfumes of the East with the final notes of sandalwood and incense.

Christian Dior, Dune
Perfume of 1991 with a floral-amber scent, reminiscent of the smell that was probably used by the beauties of the East.

No, it is simply impossible to list all the perfume compositions based on ambergris. And they all conquer the hearts of beauties and their admirers with their aroma.