Helvetolide®

“This chemical, relatively recently used in perfumery has become paramount. I would dare to say that it is as unique as Hedione or Paradisone. Helvetolide is musky, floral, having a certain fruitiness reminiscent of pears. It is very diffusive, and there are not many musk odorants, (although many diverse olfactory richness, it is mainly a musky chemical), that are diffusive but normally heavy. They are very clean and transparent notes, but heavy. On the contrary, Helvetolide is all aura, all diffusion. It has a capacity to harmonize the regular top notes based on linalool, ethyl linalool, dihydromyrcenol, coranol, sclareaolate, and green odorants, among others, and with the heavy musks like Galaxolide, Habanolide, ethylene brassilate, Ambrettolide, Scentolide, Isomuscone, Romandolide, Nirvanolide, Muscenone, Exaltenone, Globanone, Muscone Laevo, and others. All of these qualities make Helvetolide absolutely unique. It can’t be replaced. […]

Helvetolide is one of the chemicals that most affected the evolution of perfumery since 1999. The material has been used in so many accords in quantities that range from 0.5 percent to as much as 15 percent (its normal average dosage it is around 4 to 5 percent). Helvetolide possesses a very unusual chemical structure, considering it smells of “musk.” However, as I mentioned before, it is not simply musky in character. The material is radiant, with aspects of flowers, cleanliness, harmony and softness. I have used this indispensable material many times. One remarkable perfume including Helvetolide (around 7 percent) is “Miracle” by Lancôme, a fantastic combination of ethyl linalool, linalool, linalyl acetate, pink pepper, ginger oil, Coranol, Florol, Neobutenone, Helvetolide, Cyclogalbanate, Irone α, cyclamen aldehyde, lilial, glycolierral, Iso E Super, muscenone (around 3.5 percent), Exaltolide, cassis bud absolute, Prunella, lots of Galaxolide, lyral and many other ingredients that have made possible one of the best fragrance creations of recent years. Other fragrances using Helvetolide are “Ultraviolet” for women in which the material is mixed with Mysoral, “Aquaman,” “Oxygène,” “Too Much Champs Elysées,” “Flower” by Kenzo (a very good soft violet and flowery note), “BLV for Ladies” (Helvetolide, ginger oil), “Nu,” “Chance,” “Chic,” “Colgne de Thierry Mugler,” “Creed White,” “Pleasures Intense,” “Sensi,” “Freedom” by Tommy Hilfiger for men and just recently in “Bulgari Onmia” (around 15 percent). However, this list is too long to mention all that is being created and achieved by/with this key chemical. Research brings to us many great ingredients. Many of them are merely good. Others selected by a few visionary perfumers become the giants that set the trend — Helvetolide is in this class of materials.

Hedione created history since it was first used by Edmond in “Eau Sauvage” in 1966. Then, the material was just a secret chemical called N378 B. Several other history-making chemicals followed: Iso E Super, Cashmeran, the damascones, Florol, ethyl linalool, nor limbanol and variations, Firsantol, Coranol, and others. Helvetolide is absolutely in the top level. Understanding this fact is of great importance in understanding the essence and the real meaning of this article — the creative evolution of perfumery.”

^{A. B. Camps. Perfumery: Techniques in Evolution, Carol Stream: Allured Publishing Corporation, 2009, pp. 199–200.}