In short
Ambroxan is a trade name for ambroxide, a material that recreates the key odour of ambergris. It is made from sclareol from clary sage and is one of the defining notes of modern perfumery.
What Ambroxan smells like
Ambroxan (ambroxide) is used to create ambergris notes and as a fixative; Wikipedia describes a scent with woody, musky and slightly salty nuances, and Kao's leaflet lists clean ambergris, woody, warm and rich. A glossary contrasts its clean mineral warmth with Ambrinol's rawer, tobacco-leathery character. It is made from sclareol, from clary sage.
- Leading note
- Clean ambergris
- Clear facets
- Woody
- Supporting facets
- Musky, salty, mineral
- Character
- Warm, clean, radiant, tenacious
What makes Ambroxan distinctive
The ambergris note made clean and polished: warm, woody and faintly salty, without the animal.
How Ambroxan is used
Used widely as an ambergris note and fixative in woody, amber, fresh and floral compositions.
Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Ambroxan differs from similar materials
- Ambrinol
- A glossary finds Ambrinol rawer and more tobacco-like, with leathery and earthy qualities; Ambroxan is the clean, mineral warmth. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Karanal
- A glossary finds Karanal drier, less crystalline and more enveloping; Ambroxan is the cleaner, more polished ambergris. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Sclareol
- Sclareol, its starting material, is nearly odourless or a faint amber-tobacco; Ambroxan is the radiant ambergris made from it. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Ambrocenide
- Ambrocenide is sharper, more mineral and woody, with smoky facets; Ambroxan is the cleaner, polished ambergris.
- Spirambrene
- Spirambrene is fresher, aldehydic and ozonic; Ambroxan is the warm, clean ambergris.
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
A crystalline solid; dissolve before use.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Synthetic
- Odour family
- Amber / Woody
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- Also known as
- Ambroxide, Ambrox
- CAS number
- 6790-58-5
- Molecular formula
- C16H28O
- Molecular weight
- 236.39 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (3aR,5aS,9aS,9bR)-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyl-2,4,5,5a,7,8,9,9b-octahydro-1H-benzo[e][1]benzofuran
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 10857465, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory report it as not meeting the GHS hazard criteria (1,600 of 1,601 reports). Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Iso E Super
Aroma chemical · Woody / Amber — woody, velvety, amber, cedar
-
Hedione
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — jasmine, transparent, citrus, airy
-
Sclareol
Natural isolate · Amber / Woody — amber, balsamic, faint, tobacco
-
Cashmeran
Aroma chemical · Woody / Musky — musky, woody, spicy, velvety
-
Galaxolide
Aroma chemical · Musky / Floral — musky, clean, sweet, floral
Ambroxan is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Amber Core, Amber Xtreme, Ambergris Tincture, Ambrinol, Ambrocenide and Boisambrene Forte.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 47 published formulas
Ambroxan is an ingredient in 28 perfume formulas and 19 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Ambroxan
Is Ambroxan natural or synthetic?
Ambroxan is synthetic — it is made by chemical synthesis.
What is the CAS number of Ambroxan?
6790-58-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Ambroxan?
Ambroxan is used in 47 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Asphalt Peony, Blue Accord and Bright Resin Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 10857465, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Wikipedia — Ambroxide — published perfumery reference.
- Kao — Ambroxan leaflet — manufacturer's description.
- Premiere Peau — Ambrinol (comparing Ambroxan) — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.