In short
Iso E Super is the IFF trade name for a synthetic woody-amber material (OTNE). It gives a soft, velvety cedar-like warmth and is used in very large amounts in modern perfumery.
What Iso E Super smells like
Iso E Super (IFF) is described by IFF, as relayed by a retailer, as smooth, woody and amber with a velvet-like sensation; another listing calls it a velvety, transparent, dry woody aroma with hints of cedar, ambergris and violet leaf, and a vendor dry, ambery-woody, cedar-like with ambergris, vetiver and patchouli aspects and a slight phenolic nuance. Much of its smell is reported to come from a minor isomer (Arborone), and many people perceive it only intermittently or barely at all.
- Leading note
- Velvety dry wood
- Clear facets
- Amber
- Supporting facets
- Cedar
- Faint facets
- Ambergris, violet leaf
- Character
- Velvety, transparent, diffusive, soft
What makes Iso E Super distinctive
A transparent, velvety woodiness that some people hardly smell yet feel as a radiance — a texture more than a note.
How Iso E Super is used
Used very widely, often in large proportions, to give volume, radiance and a velvety woody-amber texture.
Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); blender (smooths the joins between other materials); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Iso E Super differs from similar materials
- Georgywood
- Georgywood is described as a richer, warmer, slightly sweet polished wood; Iso E Super is the more transparent, velvety one.
- Cashmeran
- Cashmeran is muskier and spicier, with fruit and pine facets; Iso E Super is drier and more transparent.
- Cedramber
- Cedramber is a drier ambergris-cedar note; Iso E Super is softer, more velvety and transparent.
- Timbersilk
- Timbersilk is the same family of isomers in a different balance; Fraterworks finds it a smooth, warm woody-amber with refined cedarwood facets. (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
Covered by an IFRA Standard. Commercial grades differ in their content of the potent trace isomer, which affects strength.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Synthetic
- Odour family
- Woody / Amber
- Note position
- Heart to base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- OTNE, Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- CAS number
- 54464-57-2
- Molecular formula
- C16H26O
- Molecular weight
- 234.38 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 1-(2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydronaphthalen-2-yl)ethanone
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 108242, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Iso E Super:
- "1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Octahydro-2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl) ethanone (OTNE)" — Restriction, 49th Amendment, published 2020-01
Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,973 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (89.5% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (84.7% of reports); H410 very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (75.2% of reports); H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (24.8% of reports). A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. 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
-
Hedione
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — jasmine, transparent, citrus, airy
-
Ambroxan
Aroma chemical · Amber / Woody — amber, ambergris, woody, mineral
-
Cashmeran
Aroma chemical · Woody / Musky — musky, woody, spicy, velvety
-
Bergamot Oil (Expressed)
Essential oil · Citrus / Aromatic — citrus, zesty, floral, tea-like
-
Vetiver Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Green — earthy, smoky, woody, rooty
Iso E Super is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Amber Core, Amber Xtreme, Ambrinol, Ambrocenide, Boisambrene Forte and Cetalox.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 45 published formulas
Iso E Super is an ingredient in 33 perfume formulas and 12 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Iso E Super
Is Iso E Super natural or synthetic?
Iso E Super is synthetic — it is made by chemical synthesis.
What is the CAS number of Iso E Super?
54464-57-2. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Iso E Super?
Iso E Super is used in 45 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Agar Lantern, Ambrette Halo and Beeswax Throne. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Is Iso E Super covered by an IFRA Standard?
Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Octahydro-2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl) ethanone (OTNE)" — Restriction, 49th Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 108242, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — Iso E Super — odour database.
- Scentspiracy — Iso E Super — distributor's description.
- Experimental Perfume Club — What's so super about Iso E Super? — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 25 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.