Skatole

In short

Skatole (3-methylindole) is a strongly faecal-smelling compound that, in extreme dilution, adds an animalic warmth to florals and civet-like accords.

What Skatole smells like

Skatole (3-methylindole) is intensely faecal. Sources disagree on whether it changes in dilution: one vendor says it lacks indole's floral transformation and stays purely faecal at any concentration; a perfume glossary says it turns sweet and floral at extreme dilution. A forum post quoting a perfume book argues that both indole and skatole smell faecal in faeces and floral in flowers. A claim that jasmine absolute contains a few percent of skatole could not be confirmed.

Leading note: Faecal
Clear facets: Indolic
Faint facets: Sweet, in extreme dilution
Character: Harsh, potent, animalic

What makes Skatole distinctive

The most purely faecal of perfumery materials, used in the tiniest traces for animal realism.

Concentration and dilution

Sources disagree: one says it stays faecal at any concentration, another that it turns sweet and floral at extreme dilution.

Where the descriptions disagree: Sources disagree on whether skatole becomes floral at extreme dilution.

How Skatole is used

Used in extreme traces for animalic, civet-like and narcotic floral effects.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Skatole differs from similar materials

Indole: Indole turns into a narcotic floral at low levels; skatole is more purely faecal. (compared directly by a cited source)
Civetone: Civetone is a warmer, musky animal note with sweetness in dilution; skatole is faecal and indolic.
Indolarome: Indolarome imitates the indole-skatole note at trace levels but leans floral-indolic; skatole is the more frankly faecal of the two.

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 solid and extremely potent; work from very high dilutions.

Identity and classification

Type: Aroma chemical
Origin: Occurs in nature
Odour family: Animalic / Leather
Note position: Base note
Physical form at room temperature: Solid
Also known as: 3-Methylindole
CAS number: 83-34-1
Molecular formula: C9H9N
Molecular weight: 131.17 g/mol
IUPAC name: 3-methyl-1H-indole

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 6736, 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 classify it (400 reports): H319 causes serious eye irritation (23% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (19.5% of reports); H335 may cause respiratory irritation (19.2% of reports); H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (17.5% of reports). 304 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

Indole
Aroma chemical · Animalic / Floral — animalic, indolic, floral, narcotic
p-Cresyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Animalic / Floral — animalic, narcissus, floral
Muscone
Aroma chemical · Musky / Animalic — musky, animalic, warm, powdery

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

Skatole is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Black Saddle
RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Skatole 1% DPG”, at 1% in DPG

Questions about Skatole

Is Skatole natural or synthetic?

The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Skatole 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 Skatole?

83-34-1. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Skatole?

Skatole is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Black Saddle. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Sources

PubChem — compound 6736, checked 19 October 2026.
PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
Premiere Peau — Skatole — published perfumery reference.
Basenotes — Indole (forum, quoting a perfume book) — published perfumery reference.
Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.