What Is Ebanol?
Ebanol is a modern aroma chemical introduced to the fragrance industry in the early 1980s as a high performance substitute for natural sandalwood oil. Developed through laboratory synthesis, it is produced by combining simple organic building blocks under controlled catalytic conditions, giving perfumers a consistent material with more than fifty percent renewable carbon content.
The finished product is a clear colorless liquid at ordinary room temperature. Its low vapor pressure keeps it in the bottle rather than the air, which helps with handling and shelf life. Because the molecule is made in a reactor rather than tapped from a tree it is classified as a synthetic ingredient, although part of its carbon skeleton can come from plant-derived feedstocks.
Ebanol is widely used in fine fragrance, functional products such as shampoos and soaps, and even in candles and reed diffusers. It is appreciated for its staying power, its ability to add fullness to woody accords, and the fact it keeps its character in challenging bases like bleach and high pH detergents. Pricing sits in the mid range for specialty aroma chemicals so it is accessible to most fragrance houses without being considered a budget filler.
Owing to its versatility and performance, Ebanol has become a workhorse material that many perfumers keep within easy reach during formula development.
What Does Ebanol Smell Like?
Ebanol is generally placed in the woody family. Off a blotter it opens with a smooth creamy sandalwood character that feels rounded rather than sharp. Within a few minutes a musky warmth emerges, adding softness and a slightly skin-like quality. As the hours pass the wood becomes richer and more substantial, almost as if polished, while a faint amber nuance lingers in the background. The overall impression is powerful yet refined, offering both depth and elegance.
In perfumery we speak of top, middle and base notes. Top notes are the first to evaporate, middle notes shape the heart of the scent, and base notes stay the longest on skin or fabric. Ebanol sits firmly in the base note category. It evaporates slowly, providing a long lasting foundation that anchors brighter materials placed above it.
Projection is moderate to strong, meaning a small amount can radiate nicely without overwhelming the composition. Longevity is excellent; on a blotter Ebanol can be detected for up to three weeks and on skin it can last through an entire day. These traits make it a favorite for perfumers who need reliable tenacity and diffusion in woody or warm blends.
How & Where To Use Ebanol
From a perfumer’s bench perspective Ebanol is a pretty friendly material. It pours easily, does not evaporate all over the place and its odour profile stays stable from batch to batch, so you can weigh it without drama.
Most often it is drafted into a formula as the backbone of a sandalwood accord. A few drops add creamy depth and help other woody notes such as cedar, vetiver or Iso E Super feel rounder and more luxurious. At slightly higher doses Ebanol can even stand in for natural sandalwood oil when budgets or sourcing issues make the real thing impractical.
Perfumers also reach for it when they want to stretch musks, ambers or gourmands. Its subtle musky warmth bridges gaps between sweet notes and heavier woods, creating a seamless flow from top to base. Because it diffuses well it can lift otherwise shy accords, adding projection without resorting to sharp aromatics.
Typical usage sits between 0.5 % and 5 % of the finished concentrate. Below 1 % it behaves like a soft sandalwood glaze, giving polish rather than presence. Around 2 % to 3 % the note becomes clearly identifiable, providing long lasting creamy wood that anchors the composition. Pushing beyond 4 % turns it into a dominant theme that can overshadow delicate florals or fresh citrus, so balance is key.
Ebanol shines in fine fragrance, solid perfumes, soaps, shampoos and even candles where its burn performance is excellent. It is less convincing in very light colognes that rely on sparkling freshness since its weight can pull the whole scent downward. In high pH cleaning products it keeps its character, which is why formulators choose it for detergents and bleach based items where many naturals collapse.
Prep work is minimal. If the material has thickened in a cool lab simply warm the bottle to room temperature and swirl. It dissolves readily in ethanol, triethyl citrate, DPG or most common bases, so no special solubiliser is needed.
Safely Information
Working with any aroma chemical requires a few sensible precautions to keep both you and your workspace safe.
- Always dilute before evaluation: Prepare a 10 % or weaker solution in alcohol or a carrier oil before smelling. Undiluted vapours can overwhelm your nose and skew perception.
- Do not sniff directly from the bottle: Use a scent strip or a fume cone to judge the odour, avoiding sudden exposure to concentrated fumes.
- Ensure good ventilation: Blend and weigh in a well ventilated area or under a fume hood to limit inhalation of airborne particles.
- Wear basic PPE: Gloves prevent skin contact and safety glasses shield your eyes from accidental splashes.
- Mind potential health effects: Some individuals may experience irritation or allergic reaction. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding consult a medical professional before handling. Occasional exposure to low levels is generally considered safe but prolonged or high level contact should be avoided.
Consult the most recent Material Safety Data Sheet supplied with your batch and review it regularly as recommendations can change. Follow IFRA guidelines for maximum usage in finished products to ensure your creations remain both beautiful and safe.
Storage And Disposal
When stored with care Ebanol can stay in specification for roughly five years, sometimes longer. The fresher the material the brighter its creamy sandalwood note, so rotation is worth tracking.
A refrigerator set between 4 °C and 8 °C slows oxidation and is ideal, yet it is not compulsory. A cool dark cupboard that never sees direct sunlight will usually do the job. Keep the bottle well away from radiators or hot production benches as repeated temperature swings shorten life.
Use polycone caps on both neat material and dilutions. The soft liner molds to the glass and gives a tighter seal than standard droppers or pipette tops. Dropper bottles breathe and let air creep in which promotes oxidation and dries out alcohol based solutions.
Try to keep bottles as full as possible. Top up working stocks into smaller vials once the level drops below half so the headspace stays minimal. Less air means fewer peroxides and a cleaner odour over time.
Label every container clearly with “Ebanol,” the dilution strength, any hazard pictograms and the date it was filled. Good labeling avoids mix-ups and speeds up safety checks during audits.
For disposal remember that Ebanol is readily biodegradable yet rated toxic to aquatic life at higher concentrations. Do not pour large quantities down the drain. Small rinse residues can be flushed with plenty of water, but bulk waste should go into a sealed drum and be picked up by a licensed chemical recycler or incineration service according to local regulations. Contaminated wipes and gloves belong in the same hazardous waste stream.
Summary
Ebanol is a modern woody base note that delivers a rich creamy sandalwood vibe with a hint of musky warmth. It is synthetic yet carries more than fifty percent renewable carbon, making it a smart stand-in for scarce natural sandalwood oil.
The material lasts for days on skin and weeks on blotters so it anchors fine fragrance, soap bars, shampoos, candles and even bleach cleaners without losing character. Usage can range from a subtle polish at half a percent to a starring role near five percent which lets perfumers plug it into countless accords from florals to gourmands.
Cost sits in the mid tier, stability across pH is excellent and performance during burn tests earns top marks, yet its weight can drag down ultra fresh colognes if dosed too high. Store it cool, keep the bottle full and respect its aquatic toxicity and you will have a dependable workhorse that is both fun and endlessly versatile in the lab.