In short
Ethanol is the carrier of most fine fragrances. Perfumer's alcohol is ethanol, usually denatured for tax purposes, at around 96% strength.
What Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) smells like
Ethanol is the usual carrier of a perfume. Perfumers value its relatively neutral odour, chemical inertness towards most aroma molecules, near-universal solvency and quick evaporation (it boils at 78 °C). Perfumer's alcohol is ethanol denatured with small amounts of agents chosen to be odourless, though forum perfumers report that some denatured alcohols still smell, and that a perfume is best judged once the alcohol has evaporated.
- Leading note
- No single note leads in the published descriptions
- Supporting facets
- Alcoholic, volatile
- Character
- Volatile, neutral, fleeting
What makes Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) distinctive
The carrier that leaves: it lifts a composition into the air and evaporates, ideally adding nothing of its own.
How Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) is used
Used as the main solvent for fine fragrance; denatured grades are standard, with the denaturant chosen to be odourless.
Typical role: solvent (dilutes or carries other materials).
How Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) differs from similar materials
- Dipropylene Glycol (DPG)
- DPG stays in the formula and slows evaporation; ethanol evaporates quickly and lifts the top notes. (compared directly by a cited source)
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
Flammable. The denaturant and its legal status depend on the country; check before buying.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Solvent or carrier
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- No odour family
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Ethyl alcohol, Perfumer's alcohol
- CAS number
- 64-17-5
- Molecular formula
- C2H6O
- Molecular weight
- 46.07 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- ethanol
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 702, 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. It has a harmonised EU classification (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Annex VI): H225 highly Flammable liquid and vapor. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (13,886 reports): H319 causes serious eye irritation (37.7% of reports). 5 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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
-
Dipropylene Glycol (DPG)
Solvent or carrier · No odour family — odourless
-
Triethyl Citrate
Solvent or carrier · No odour family — odourless
Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Glycerol, Propylene Glycol and Triacetin.
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol)
Is Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol) may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Ethanol (Perfumer's Alcohol)?
64-17-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 702, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Basenotes — Perfumer's alcohol (forum) — published perfumery reference.
- Scentspiracy — Denatured alcohol — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.