- May 28, 2009
It has been suggested that I write about this chemical, mentioned on another thread, as it has aroused some interest.
Firstly Dimethyl Sulphide smells bad. In concentrate it smells like rotten cabbage, and indeed when you boil cabbage or beetroot, DMS is produced. It is very volatile, so you have to be careful how you store it. Any leak in its container, and you will be able to smell the stuff. Storage will be a problem, and if you can buy it pre-diluted that would be to the good. It is very strong. That is an understatement. IT IS VERY STRONG, and very easy to overdose. I rarely used it at a higher concentration than a 0.1% solution, more often at 0.01%. Between 0.1 and 0.5% of the final perfume concentrate. It is quite a tricky ingredient to use. It is one of those chemicals that seems to disappear into your fragrance, until after a little drop more, it overwhelms completely. It may take a few days to blend into your fragrance, so be patient. It may be that what, at first, you thought was too much, will not be enough.
So given all its faults; why use it? I can think of three areas of Perfumery where Dimethyl Sulphide is invaluable. Firstly, whenever Geranium oil is used. Many Geranium oils (especially Chinese, and South African) contain DMS. In fact all Geranium oils used in Perfumery contain DMS, it is just that in some it is more noticeable than others. Diluting DMS to a workable level changes the smell from bad cabbage to a sweet, floral which enhances the rosy quality of Geranium. Should you wish to boost that then little extra DMS will do the trick. Despite its volatility, DMS seems to affect the Top and Middle notes of a fragrance. Any Rose base can be modified by a touch of DMS. Many years ago I worked for a company that sold a Rose base to Guerlain which contained Rose Oxide, Chamomile and DMS; plus a few other bits. It was wonderful. Combining the sweetness of diluted DMS with the fruitiness of Chamomile and the bitterness of Rose Oxide worked like a dream. Fougeres will be improved with a touch of DMS. So if you wish to floras Geranium, Lavender and Bergamot (basic Fougere accord) add a touch of DMS and see what happens.
The second type of fragrance that will benefit from DMS, is Tropical Fruits; especially Lychee. Open a tin of Lychees or peel a fresh one and smell, you will smell DMS. To get a fruity quality, especially with Tropical suits such as Papaya, or Mango, or Lychee it is necessary to add a certain rotten quality, which provides a ripe fruit note. Very often Butyric acid can be used, Thiomenthone, Thiolimonene, Oxane, iso Valeric acid, all give a sweaty, rotten aspect which is desirable to create a ripe fruit note. DMS is right up there for this quality.
Finally, if you wish to duplicate the smell of the sea, DMS can help. Apparently it is responsible for what we smell by the sea side. To make a fragrance some DMS will add authenticity.
Dimethyl Sulphide is not an easy chemical to use, but once you get it right you will see how useful it can be. Try some experiments. Make a simple mix of Geraniol, Citronellol and PEA, add a small amount of 0.01% DMS and see the effect it has. Make a simple Fougere blend, and try using 0.1% solution of DMS, just to see what happens.
Perfumery is a doing subject; by doing you learn. I hope this has been helpful. Any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Firstly Dimethyl Sulphide smells bad. In concentrate it smells like rotten cabbage, and indeed when you boil cabbage or beetroot, DMS is produced. It is very volatile, so you have to be careful how you store it. Any leak in its container, and you will be able to smell the stuff. Storage will be a problem, and if you can buy it pre-diluted that would be to the good. It is very strong. That is an understatement. IT IS VERY STRONG, and very easy to overdose. I rarely used it at a higher concentration than a 0.1% solution, more often at 0.01%. Between 0.1 and 0.5% of the final perfume concentrate. It is quite a tricky ingredient to use. It is one of those chemicals that seems to disappear into your fragrance, until after a little drop more, it overwhelms completely. It may take a few days to blend into your fragrance, so be patient. It may be that what, at first, you thought was too much, will not be enough.
So given all its faults; why use it? I can think of three areas of Perfumery where Dimethyl Sulphide is invaluable. Firstly, whenever Geranium oil is used. Many Geranium oils (especially Chinese, and South African) contain DMS. In fact all Geranium oils used in Perfumery contain DMS, it is just that in some it is more noticeable than others. Diluting DMS to a workable level changes the smell from bad cabbage to a sweet, floral which enhances the rosy quality of Geranium. Should you wish to boost that then little extra DMS will do the trick. Despite its volatility, DMS seems to affect the Top and Middle notes of a fragrance. Any Rose base can be modified by a touch of DMS. Many years ago I worked for a company that sold a Rose base to Guerlain which contained Rose Oxide, Chamomile and DMS; plus a few other bits. It was wonderful. Combining the sweetness of diluted DMS with the fruitiness of Chamomile and the bitterness of Rose Oxide worked like a dream. Fougeres will be improved with a touch of DMS. So if you wish to floras Geranium, Lavender and Bergamot (basic Fougere accord) add a touch of DMS and see what happens.
The second type of fragrance that will benefit from DMS, is Tropical Fruits; especially Lychee. Open a tin of Lychees or peel a fresh one and smell, you will smell DMS. To get a fruity quality, especially with Tropical suits such as Papaya, or Mango, or Lychee it is necessary to add a certain rotten quality, which provides a ripe fruit note. Very often Butyric acid can be used, Thiomenthone, Thiolimonene, Oxane, iso Valeric acid, all give a sweaty, rotten aspect which is desirable to create a ripe fruit note. DMS is right up there for this quality.
Finally, if you wish to duplicate the smell of the sea, DMS can help. Apparently it is responsible for what we smell by the sea side. To make a fragrance some DMS will add authenticity.
Dimethyl Sulphide is not an easy chemical to use, but once you get it right you will see how useful it can be. Try some experiments. Make a simple mix of Geraniol, Citronellol and PEA, add a small amount of 0.01% DMS and see the effect it has. Make a simple Fougere blend, and try using 0.1% solution of DMS, just to see what happens.
Perfumery is a doing subject; by doing you learn. I hope this has been helpful. Any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
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