Vetiver Haïti in EtOH changing scent (in a few months time)!? Like Vetiveryl acetate?!

[PeeWee678]

I have my materials prediluted and I noticed something unexpectedly: the scent of my diluted Vetiver Haïti (10%) has changed over the last 4-6 months.
I did a blind test and compared a fresh dilution with the old one and indeed:

• The fresh one is more earthy, more robust, has a bit more depth to it.
• The old one is (only slightly) acidic and slightly minty and somewhat lighter.
• Smelling from the bottle the difference is even more pronounced and immediately noticeable.

I had this problem before with Vetiveryl acetate but that is to be expected (although I find it weird that in that case also the diluted material had gone bad whereas the pure was still fine).

So, has anyone experienced the same with Vetiver? I can't imagine this being normal. I mean: what about perfumes with Vetiver in them?.

 

[rococo]

I have a 10% dilution of Vetiver haiti that's probably 8 months old and has been stored away from light. I'll try making a new dilution and let you know. Where is yours from?

 

[polysom]

Was there a specific use case for diluting the Vetiver on the first place? If you like the undiluted material more, then why not just using the undiluted one?

 

[PeeWee678]

I have a 10% dilution of Vetiver haiti that's probably 8 months old and has been stored away from light. I'll try making a new dilution and let you know. Where is yours from?

I thought about mention the source but in the end I forgot... It's from Hekserij.

I have to say: although I do store the original amber bottles in boxes, my predilutions are in clear glass stored on the shelf but not exposed to sunlight; only to moderate daylight and indoor lighting.

 

[PeeWee678]

Was there a specific use case for diluting the Vetiver on the first place? If you like the undiluted material more, then why not just using the undiluted one?

I dilute all my materials; that's just my way of working (cheap and practical) but I certainly will use fresh Vetiver dilutions from now on (in measured amounts). I was just wondering how this can happen and if it's common and can be prevented somehow. Also: what about the use in perfumes? Does it need a UV filter maybe? (although I can't imagine it has degraded in just a few months by too much UV with moderate light and no direct sunlight).

 

[rococo]

Okay, so the one I made 40 seconds ago is understandably a little more alcohol-smelling at first, but once they are dry they are nearly identical and I cannot pick them out in a blind test.

I would imagine even a small amount of filtered light would have an impact over many months. My dilution is in amber glass, lives in a drawer, and has probably seen 10 minutes of any kind of light in all its existence. If there is some water in your alcohol that could also have some long term impact, but I would guess that light exposure is the main culprit for the change you are seeing. Others with more chemistry expertise can speak with more authority here.

As for why dilute.. sometimes I just want to try out like 0.5-2% vetiver in a 2-3g tiny experiment I am doing and the dilution is handy for that. I do try to work with undiluted or the least possible dilution necessary.

 

[PeeWee678]

Okay, so the one I made 40 seconds ago is understandably a little more alcohol-smelling at first, but once they are dry they are nearly identical and I cannot pick them out in a blind test.

Thanks for taking the time. After about 30-45 minutes the difference is getting smaller here to the extent that I can hardly notice a difference anymore. Pretty sure the degradation byproduct is a top note. And yes, there is about 4% of water in my ethanol.

 

[pkiler]

Vetiver is a very changeable material, over time.
Naturals are not static, chemistry is active, always.