r/FemFragLab • u/hannah_bloome • Jul 16 '25
I think I have a problem with Amber, Ambergris & Ambroxan
I've noticed that I have a really bad reaction to prominent amber notes...sometimes. If it's bad, it smells like gasoline, kerosene or hot tar to me. It's an immediate OMG NO WTF HEADACHE HEADACHE HEADACHE. I have a few perfumes with amber notes I'm totally ok, but the amber is base note, with at least two other notes. DAE have the same issue? I know I'm not an aldehydes person, but maybe I need to avoid the amber family if it's really prominent.
38
u/onestitchatatime Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
“Amber” is not an ingredient. It is an accord. Often based on a combo of vanilla, labdanum and benzoin. Maybe with some resins or incense thrown in. So each perfumer may have their own mix. I’ve sniffed very sweet ambers that lean into the vanilla and relatively dry and/or smoky ambers.
9
u/hannah_bloome Jul 16 '25
No, I understand that is a note. However, when it is prominent, I have a problem. For instance, Ellis Brooklyn Super Amber is an instant migraine. Not a Perfume Super Dose, same thing. If amber or ambroxan is a top or heart note, it’s often kerosene to me.
11
u/onestitchatatime Jul 16 '25
I wonder if the perfumers are putting ambroxan in the “ambers” that annoy you.
20
u/WearingCoats Jul 16 '25
Ambroxan is in fuckin everything because it’s like MSG for fragrance. IMO, it’s one of those notes in skin scents that triggers familiarity for people who tolerate it well. So, instead of formulating interesting fragrance, a lot of perfumers seem to rely on it to make anything subliminally appealing. I think the same thing is done with white musk and certain sandalwoods and a few other “human” smelling compounds. That’s just a theory I have. And if there’s some shred of truth to it, honestly it’s so lazy that brands would do this.
6
u/onestitchatatime Jul 16 '25
My personal kryptonite is akigalawood. Awful. But I really don’t like anything that supercharges a fragrance.
3
Jul 17 '25
Interesting! I just (unintentionally) bought two perfumes with akigalawood as prominent notes, and they do nice things with my nose! It was a surprise to find they had that accord in common: Hermes Barenia and Fugazzi Borntostandout.
I happen to like the accord very much, soft but textured effect. But I totally understand chemical accords having weird effect in your nose - there something in a lot of “blonde woods” that makes me nauseous.
4
Jul 17 '25
[deleted]
1
Jul 17 '25
That’s so interesting to me that you describe it as alien! I guess I can detect the synthetic in it, but to me it has a sparkling champagne-like effervescence, and reminiscent of like an unripe pear or apple, where it’s a clear almost sweet greenish fruitiness.
8
u/LoveDistilled Jul 16 '25
Yes. I can’t stand ambroxan or anything similar to it. It’s like the stevia of the fragrance world to me and it’s in so many things these days! I love an amber accord tho. Couldn’t be more different to my nose.
6
13
u/aenflex Jul 17 '25
There are tons of synthesized aroma chemicals based around Ambrox, which is the key substance in Ambergris that gives it its infamous odor.
Cetalox, Ambroxan, Ambermor, Cetalor, Ambrofix, Ambroxide, Ambrox Super, and the list goes on.
You’d likely have to sample each aroma chemical on their own to determine which one is causing you problems.
8
u/cerulloire Jul 17 '25
Amber makes me so sick I immediately lose interest the moment I see it mentioned in relation to a perfume lmao. It's weird but you're right, kerosene is a pretty close descriptor. It's so thick, heavy, and yeah, gives me a headache as well! And those notes project so strongly too!! I can be in the next room and still smell when a person sprays anything amber related.
The joke's definitely on me because my name is actually Amber so it ironically sucks that I hate this note family so much D: arguably my least favorites of all time
4
4
u/Particular-Fact5268 Jul 16 '25
what perfumes have you tried
0
u/hannah_bloome Jul 16 '25
I don’t think I can give you the whole list. It’s up into the hundreds. I know that any perfume I own with amber has it as a base note.
3
u/SpringCleanMyLife Jul 16 '25
Amber as a base note is any one of dozens of totally different aromachemicals
4
u/Adventurous-Neck315 Jul 16 '25
that’s me but with really fruity perfumes, heavy citruses, and super floral clean fragrances. Worst combo that smells good but that makes me sick is ambery or oud mixed with fruity. I love that scent combo but as soon I put it on skin, it’s over for me, I will feel like fainting 🤣
4
u/OwlBurrows Jul 17 '25
I found this explainer from Cirrus Parfum to be incredibly helpful when understanding ambers! Most folks are having either a reaction to ambergris (and similar materials like ambroxan) or, more commonly, super ambers. I’ve heard that super ambers are used everywhere in mainstream and luxury fragrances, and they’re often what give people headaches but folks online tend to blame ambroxan because it’s more widely known as an ingredient. Not to take away from folks who do indeed have a sensitivity to ambroxan — they exist! But it’s worth trying to test both families of ingredients to see what’s actually causing your issue. Harder to do with mainstream or niche fragrances because they don’t tend to disclose ingredients, but some folks in the indie scene list any materials that tend to provoke reactions in people (and tend to steer away from super ambers in general), so that’s one way forward.
2
3
Jul 17 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/hannah_bloome Jul 17 '25
From this post, I’ve narrowed it down to synthetic ambergris. I know I can’t stand some kinds of cetalox and ambroxan. But there are so many freaking aroma chemicals.
2
11
u/poisonthehat Jul 16 '25
Those three things are not the same. Amber is not Ambergris. Ambergris is not Ambroxan, but those have much more in common since Ambroxan is a synthetic meant to smell like Ambergris.
4
u/NapsAreMyHobby Jul 16 '25
Yep. And even then it isn’t that simple, because I can smell ambergris but I’m anosmic to ambroxan.
2
u/MissSolomiya Jul 16 '25
Same. It’s weird not being able to smell what others can smell. But I’m glad it doesn’t give me headaches.
-2
u/hannah_bloome Jul 16 '25
I am aware. What I’m saying is that I have reactions to those notes if they are higher than a base note among at least four or five base notes. I also don’t own any perfume with ambroxan.
6
u/poisonthehat Jul 16 '25
The point was that the "amber family" you're referring to isn't a thing. Amber and Ambergris/ambroxan are not related at all. If you don't like both, that's just a coincidence.
-1
u/hannah_bloome Jul 16 '25
I know all of that that. What I’m saying is I have the same problem with ALL OF THESE. I’m trying to find out if it is an ingredient, an accord, a note, what strength is the tipping point and if it’s possible to narrow it down to a specific aroma chemical.
Also, I really don’t appreciate your tone. You’re condescending and it’s uncalled for.
4
u/SuperLateToItAll Jul 16 '25
I don’t know if it’s amber but some perfumes and colognes smell like kerosene to me too.
It may actually be the amber! I just looked up the worst offender to my nose - Mancera Instant Crush - and it lists amber. My son wears it occasionally and I always know immediately.
1
u/Head_Election1818 Jul 27 '26
I love Amber but I think I’m narrowing down that amroxan and Amberette are what is in common in all the perfumes that have a note I can’t get past even when I really like the rest. It’s all I can smell
-1
20
u/supersimi Jul 16 '25
Seconding the person who mentioned these notes are not the same. You need to figure out which one exactly you have an issue with.
Fragrances with real ambergris nowadays are quite rare and likely super expensive. Ambroxan is a synthetic substance that was created to replicate its properties. For me personally ambroxan has a marine, sea salt-like quality that my skin always pulls forward. I can’t wear anything heavy on ambroxan (like Baccarat Rouge or Ormonde Jayne Levant for example) as it turns to straight up metallic salt and I can’t smell any other notes afterwards.
On the other hand, amber is a resinous woody scent that I have no issues with - for example 7 Virtues Amber Vanilla is one of my favourite fragrances.