Stepping Into the World of Deer Musk.

[Scentsculptor1]

After all the blending and testing some amazing, some a total mess it's time to move toward something truly special: deer musk.

I’ve learned a lot along the way, and now I want to explore how deer musk can elevate natural compositions. Thinking of starting with sandalwood-based blends.

Would love your input:

Which musk do you recommend—Siberian, Tibetan, or Himalayan?

Any tips for maceration or blending?

Also, any trusted vendors you’d recommend for ethically sourced musk grain or tinctures?

 

[DubOudh]

Wow, I had no idea it could get that tricky. I honestly thought if you’re getting a full pod, that means it’s the real thing. Didn’t know people actually inject them with sand or liquid to increase the weight that’s wild. Makes me realize how easy it is to get fooled if you’re not careful or don’t know the right people.

I’m still learning about all this, so this kind of info really helps. Is there any way at all to tell if a pod is genuine just by looking or smelling? Or is it purely based on trust.

A trusted person I have used in the past was himself almost caught out by deception. He was buying quite a few pods from a new supplier and had asked for a sample. When he analyzed it .....it had been hampered with internally. He had the knowledge and experience to spot it but it can happen and does happen. It's a lucrative trade and vendors like @NinjaRobb are verified and licensed dealers.
If you are new that is the way to go.
If you don't know the person offering this pod to you just beware.

 

[hedycent]

I’m leaving this forum as it’s promoting the selling dead animal parts

 

[Saudalhajri]

Quick question: what’s your take on maceration when blending musk with sandalwood or florals? Do you prefer long maceration times, or have you found shorter periods to still bring out the best of both profile

From my own experience, musk in distilled florals matures a lot quicker than Oud and sandalwood. In rose oil for example your maceration can mature as soon as 1-3 months, but Oud and sandalwood can take at least 6 months and sometimes over a year.
I’m not a chemist but I think the more fluid, mobile and volatile nature of floral oils helps extract the aroma a lot quicker than the thicker more viscous Oud and sandalwood. The actual chemical makeup or florals (which can be VERY different from distilled wood) might also have an impact.

 

[Saudalhajri]

After all the blending and testing some amazing, some a total mess it's time to move toward something truly special: deer musk.

I’ve learned a lot along the way, and now I want to explore how deer musk can elevate natural compositions. Thinking of starting with sandalwood-based blends.

Would love your input:

Which musk do you recommend—Siberian, Tibetan, or Himalayan?

Any tips for maceration or blending?

Also, any trusted vendors you’d recommend for ethically sourced musk grain or tinctures?

Siberian musk is easier and more friendly to most people, it’s the most “western” deer musk, its top notes are wonderful and relatively non-offensive, often floral and fruity and hay-like with a little “wet dog” smell to it.
Mongolian, Tibetan/himalayan and Kyrgyzstani is more animalic earthy “barny” depending on the region.

As for blending you can search the forum, but as a guide most recommend a 10-20% maceration by weight in sandalwood or oud for at least 6 months, shaking or agitating as often as you can. A lot of people (me included) just carry the maceration in their pockets all day to keep it moving and warmed.

 

[Mohamed]

I have had faster results macerating musk in frankincense. Currently it is my favorite as I find the siberian musk I have pairs very well with the oman, carterii and neglecta oils I've been using. At an 18%-20% ratio I've experienced the musk coming through after just an hour or so.

Fascinating! How did it turn out ?

 

[Matty]

Fascinating! How did it turn out ?

So far, after about 2 months, there are added cedar and camphor notes, it is transforming the oil very well becoming a perfume all of it's own. Of course, it helps that I really enjoy smelling frankincense. The starting musk has it's own fragrance aside from the animal and ammonia type odors. This special fragrance would immediately make me think of spicey balsams and coniferous forests, frankincense plays along into this very well. I chose some oils that are more sharp, fresh pine/fir-balsam and fruity while avoiding any that were smelling of resin or woody.
I have tried macerations with sandalwood, oud and rose but so far frankincense has been the most dramatic for me.

 

[Mr.P]

So far, after about 2 months, there are added cedar and camphor notes, it is transforming the oil very well becoming a perfume all of it's own. Of course, it helps that I really enjoy smelling frankincense. The starting musk has it's own fragrance aside from the animal and ammonia type odors. This special fragrance would immediately make me think of spicey balsams and coniferous forests, frankincense plays along into this very well. I chose some oils that are more sharp, fresh pine/fir-balsam and fruity while avoiding any that were smelling of resin or woody.
I have tried macerations with sandalwood, oud and rose but so far frankincense has been the most dramatic for me.

Frankincense oil I have purchased has very often been extremely mobile, almost like WD40 or a solvent. No thickness or viscosity and it seems like the kind of thing that would permeate and extract and dissolve things readily.

 

[Matty]

Frankincense oil I have purchased has very often been extremely mobile, almost like WD40 or a solvent. No thickness or viscosity and it seems like the kind of thing that would permeate and extract and dissolve things readily.

Most definately. Most of frankincense oil's composition is very volatile, very high in a-pinene. Some of my specimens will disappear from skin after only 20-30mins. It is a bit different with the musk as it holds onto a lot of the less fleeting components and amplifies a few of them as if there is a kind of synergy.

I was reading through some old perfumery manuals awhile ago and it mentioned something about musk being "lifted" by ingredients such as camphor and valerian. There were also ingredients assumed to stifle the musk (of which I do not remember). There may be an association between frankincense' and camphor's ability to manipulate the musk, seeing as how frankincense can be used to manufacture camphor.

 

[Matty]

So, I tried looking for the information about camphor vs musk, I did not find it. However, I came across other passages recommending using camphor to clean musk from mortar/pestle and other equipment, as well as using bitter almonds to remove the odor.

Edit: found it, here's the passage.

The art of perfumery and the methods of obtaining the odors of plants.
By: George William Septimus Piesse
Publication 1879

"The odour of musk is more or less modified by its association with various odorous or inodorous substances. Thus, camphor and valerian affect it, and bitter almonds destroy it. When perfumers have to disinfect a mortar that has been used for rubbing musk with other substances, they pound bitter almonds in it."