How do you use lactones?

[SleepingPhoenixApothecary]

I would be very interested to hear how you all use lactones. I'm only using naturals and isolates so the array of aroma molecules available to me is kinda limited, but I do have quite a few lactones I've been playing around with. I used gamma octalactone at a very low dose, less than .5% of a fragrance of mine where the main notes are vetiver and blood orange and it was really nice, adding a hint of coconut to the tropical aspects of the vetiver, but had to be dosed very very low.

So far I've gathered that they have to be dosed really low, also that these may be the "fruity" molecules, I'm also playing around with g undecalactone and rose right now, looking for ways to bolster up the rose and make it last longer.

I'm very interested to hear any tips or tricks ya'll have picked up along your perfume journey in regards to lactones.

 

[parker25mv]

Many lactones are smooth and creamy, rather white opaque. But not all of them. They can play a role in many formulas.
Many lactones do tend to be a just a little bit "fruity" but often not very fruity. There are some specific ones that are fruitier than the others.

It's almost a little hard to talk about lactones in general. It's easier to talk about their use in specific situations, in certain accords.
I would say that lactones often are somewhat bland and maybe not the most exciting but they can help add "substance" to the smell of a fragrance.

Lactones can be valued in certain floral fragrances, a white petal effect of jasmine probably being the main one. I think lactones typically do not go above 15 percent of the formula for an accord but that could be open to a great level of interpretation.

As you have found out, even 0.5 percent can have a noticeable and significant impact on a fragrance.

Lactones are not necessarily just feminine. They can have applications in masculine fragrances as well.

I would also say that lactones are very "natural". Those concerned about "synthetic chemicals" do not really need to fear lactones.

 

[steventeddy]

In my recent project of making a pipe tobacco accord, I used them not only for their affirmative scent, but also to help tame the super scratchy opening of my tobacco absolute. In ppt, Tobacco Absolute: 697, Gamma Hexalactone: 36, Octahydrocoumarin: 14.5, Whiskey Lactone: 12. In making that accord I tried my best to avoid the "coconut" facet you can get when you have too much of them. Also I think Gamma Hexalactone and Whiskey Lactone are available as natural isolates--not sure about Octahydrocoumarin.

 

[ScentAle]

I use often but depend from compositions. In some gourmand boozy (example with a good amount of oakwood base and alcolic materials) i feel that can happens also that an enough high lactones dosing can be ok, or to contrast some dark notes, but in some other compositions happens that 1 drop more and all is bad. Anyway i usually use lactones in very small amount and well diluted.

 

[Casper_grassy]

This might sound stupid or obvious, but like everything else, just use them as you need them.

This is like asking “how do you use salicylates?”

Don’t use a lactone just to say you used one. What everything is (is it a terpene, a butyrate, an acetate etc) isn’t important, what does it smell like, what does it do, is it what I need and how does it perform is all you should be asking.

 

[SleepingPhoenixApothecary]

Great answers thanks everyone for chiming in! I really need to keep these at like .1% in my organ, I have everything diluted to either 20 or 10% right now to sketch out ideas, then I use raw materials with the scale when I"m ready. But my lactones have been at 5% in my organ which is too high for me. I got a real interesting one massoia lactone which I'm excited to try, think it could work well as the milk in an earl grey themed accord.

 

[ourmess]

Please do keep in mind that massoia lactone is banned by IFRA.

I wouldn't think you need to generically dilute all lactones to 0.1% simply because they're lactones. "Lactones" is simply a grouping of numerous different materials with different properties; learning them each individually will probably be the more productive approach (though obviously much more material- and time-consuming).

 

[David Ruskin]

I would have thought a 0.1% solution of any lactone to be too low. The lactones all smell different, although all share a fruity, creamy aspect. The first step in learning how to use them is to smell them and follow their behaviour on a smelling strip. Coumarin, a solid, is a lactone, so you might want to make a solution of it to study it more easily. The others would be better smelled neat.

 

[SleepingPhoenixApothecary]

I would have thought a 0.1% solution of any lactone to be too low. The lactones all smell different, although all share a fruity, creamy aspect. The first step in learning how to use them is to smell them and follow their behaviour on a smelling strip. Coumarin, a solid, is a lactone, so you might want to make a solution of it to study it more easily. The others would be better smelled neat.

Wow I didn't know coumarin was a lactone. I've found that the decalactones are quite strong so I want to dilute them down, but in regards to the .1% thing, I"m talking in terms of formulating with all diluted materials, I have everything at 10 or 20% in my organ for economical reasons so .1% feels strong when the rest are also diluted

 

[parker25mv]

Wow I didn't know coumarin was a lactone.

It technically is, but coumarin is almost in its own separate category a little bit. There are a small handful of other ACs that are described as "coumarin-like".

 

[David Ruskin]

According to Wickipedia there are over a thousand coumarin type chemicals. A sub-set of the chemical class known as lactone. Coumarin, a lactone, is also a Phenylpropanoid. Who kew?

See, I can do it too.