Ambroxide Cryst. – Ambroxan from Holzminden
Ambroxide Cryst. – the molecule without a name, from the town where synthetic perfumery was born
In an industry that names its molecules like racing yachts – Ambrofix, AmberMor, Orcanox – Symrise sells its Ambroxan simply under the chemical name: Ambroxide Cryst. No legend on the label. That is not modesty – it is a statement. When your own house is over a hundred and fifty years old and synthetic aroma chemistry literally began in your own street, you don't need to dress up a molecule's name.
The town on the Weser
Holzminden, around twenty thousand inhabitants. Here, in 1874, the chemists Wilhelm Haarmann and Ferdinand Tiemann synthesized vanillin for the first time in history – from coniferin, a glycoside from the sap of conifers. Humanity's first industrially produced odorant – and the moment when the "queen of spices" no longer belonged only to the rich. Around this synthesis grew the company Haarmann & Reimer. In 1919, Carl-Wilhelm Gerberding founded Dragoco in the same town. For almost a century the two houses worked a few streets apart, until on May 23, 2003 they became one: Symrise AG – today listed on the DAX, still headquartered in Holzminden. Whoever buys Ambroxide Cryst. buys from a house that is older than the molecule itself – by three quarters of a century.
Craft without special effects
The route is the classic one, refined over decades: sclareol from clary sage → sclareolide → ambradiol → cyclization to ambroxide. All of the carbon is of plant origin – hence the honest Renewable Factor of 100%. But "classic" does not mean "frozen": in 2018 Symrise patented a one-step process (US20210300885A1) that oxidizes sclareol directly to sclareolide with ozone – instead of the heavy classic oxidizing agents, only air, oxygen and engineering precision. Patents like this never make it into advertising. They make it into the life-cycle assessment.
The name that doesn't exist
The logic is in Symrise's own catalog: generic molecules run under chemical names – Ambroxide Cryst., Acetanisole Cryst. – while brand names are reserved for the house's own inventions: one line further down is Ambrocenide®, the in-house woody-amber booster. Ambroxide has long been patent-free, perfumers know it by its CAS number – a fantasy name would add nothing here. It is not the name that sells: it is the crystal with at least 99% purity.
The crystal at work
The manufacturer calls it a "lead substance for ambery creations": a clean, substantive amber note, base and fixative with rare tenacity on skin and fabric. Use level 0.1–2%. A trump card of its own is stability in chlorine-containing media: an amber note that survives bleach has free access to functional perfumery – from soap to detergent. In practice: pre-dilution of 10–20% in ethanol or DPG; weigh in low dosages from the solution.
| Manufacturer / Product No. | Symrise AG, Holzminden / 600304 |
| CAS No. | 6790-58-5 |
| Molecular formula / MW | C16H28O / 236.4 g/mol |
| Physical form | Off-white to white crystals, purity ≥ 99% (GC) |
| Use level | 0.1–2% |
| Renewable carbon | 100% |
| Biodegradability | 71% – readily biodegradable |
One CAS number – four houses
CAS 6790-58-5 is produced by four major houses: Symrise (Ambroxide Cryst., semi-synthesis from sclareol), dsm-firmenich (Ambrox® Super, white biotechnology since 2016), Givaudan (Ambrofix™, fermentation from sugar cane since 2019) and IFF (Ambermor®). One molecule – different routes and philosophies. You'll find the full comparison including dosages on the page Ambroxan: all versions compared.
Regulation
Not classified as hazardous according to the notifications in the ECHA C&L Inventory. No IFRA Standard. RIFM assessment: not genotoxic, not a PBT substance. Worldwide use of the molecule in fragrances: 100–1000 tonnes per year – the quiet pillar of half the perfumery shelves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ambroxide Cryst. Ambroxan?
Yes. "Ambroxan" is the common name for the molecule with CAS number 6790-58-5. Symrise sells it under the chemical name Ambroxide Cryst.; other houses call the same molecule Ambrofix, AmberMor or Ambrox.
How does it differ from Ambrofix, AmberMor and Ambrox Super?
Chemically, not at all – same CAS number. The differences lie in the house and the production route: semi-synthesis from sclareol at Symrise, biotechnology at dsm-firmenich and Givaudan. Details in the version comparison.
Why doesn't it have a brand name?
Symrise reserves brand names for its own inventions such as Ambrocenide®; long patent-free molecules run under their chemical names. The market knows ambroxide by its CAS number – a name would add nothing.
Does ambroxide occur in nature?
Yes – it is one of the key odorants of natural ambergris, where it forms through oxidation of the triterpene ambrein. The industrial route goes via sclareol from clary sage.
How do I dose Ambroxide Cryst.?
0.1–2% in the concentrate, ideally from a 10–20% pre-dilution in ethanol or DPG. Not classified as hazardous according to ECHA C&L; no IFRA Standard exists.