Ingredients · Not for the smell

Triethyl citrate (TEC)

Say ittrye-ETH-il SIT-rayt

Odorless.

What it is

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

What perfumers do with it

Odorless solvent and mild fixative; a common phthalate-free diluent for aroma materials

Worth knowing

Also a food additive (E1505) that helps whipped egg whites hold their foam.

Also called

TEC; E1505

On the label of 6 of the 1080 perfumes read so far

Miss DiorDior · printed “Triethyl citrate”724Maison Francis Kurkdjian · printed “Triethyl citrate”BeautifulEstée Lauder · printed “Triethyl citrate”H24 Herbes VivesHermès · printed “Triethyl citrate”Féminin PlurielMaison Francis Kurkdjian · printed “Triethyl citrate”Aqua Media Cologne ForteMaison Francis Kurkdjian · printed “Triethyl citrate”