Ingredients · Not for the smell

Perfumer's alcohol (ethanol)

Sharp, clean boozy sting that vanishes within seconds.

What it is

There to carry, keep or colour the perfume, not for its smell.

What perfumers do with it

Dissolves and projects the perfume oils, then evaporates; usually most of a spray's volume

Worth knowing

US rules spell out each recipe: SD 40-B adds denatonium benzoate and tert-butyl alcohol to every 100 gallons.

Known in

Invictus (Paco Rabanne, 2013)

Also called

alcohol denat.; SD alcohol 40-B or 39-C; ethyl alcohol

On the label of 919 of the 1080 perfumes read so far

No. 5Chanel · printed “Alcohol”SauvageDior · printed “Alcohol”ShalimarGuerlain · printed “Alcohol”MitsoukoGuerlain · printed “Alcohol”Eau SauvageDior · printed “Alcohol”AngelMugler · printed “Alcohol”

See all 919