Description and usage notes:
Distinctive, powerful and in concentration unpleasant to most people.
Odour description: Pungent, floral, slightly naphtha and mothball like with a faecal and animalic musty character.
An essential component of the scent of many flowers including jasmine, gardenia, narcissus and others it is it is very widely used and absolutely necessary for realistic flower scents.
Arctander writes extensively about this material; here are a couple of extracts: “Extremely diffusive and powerful odor, almost tarry-repulsive and choking when concentrated, but in concentrations lower than 0.1%. or in compositions, it shows powerful floral notes and pleasant radiation. Good tenacity, in spite of the volatility at room temperature.”
Where an intense indolic note is required, consider using the related Skatole in addition to avoid a mothball effect creeping in.
The floral aspect of indole can also be enhanced by the addition of traces of m-Cresol.
According to IFF “Timbersilk minimizes the traditional harsh animalic character often encountered when using Indole.”
Because this material is so powerful and the solid so difficult to handle (see SDS for details), it is normally supplied as a 10% solution in ethanol, but if you prefer the pure solid that’s available at the same price: just say so in the box at checkout.
Lucy Oldham (verified owner) –
Use this one sparingly. On it’s own, it smells like faeces mixed with mothballs. But in trace, it sends any jasmin into overdrive, it makes tuberose seem real in all it’s rubbery glory (tuberose is such a pervy note). Be aware that this will discolour over time. It will get darker. If you don’t want that, go for one of the synthetic versions.