Conserving Musk Deer the Uses of Musk and Europe's Role in its Trade (pdf, 360 kb)

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Interviews with both German and French perfumers revealed that only a small number of perfume

companies in Europe, primarily in France, work with very old, traditional, recipes which may contain

musk, amber and civet.

Information from perfume manufacturers in Germany, France and Switzerland

About 30 companies in Germany are involved in the manufacture of perfume oils and scents.  Of these,

15 companies were surveyed by TRAFFIC Europe-Germany.  Thirteen companies, including the major

manufacturers in Germany, indicated that they had used no natural musk, or virtually none, in their

products for many years or even decades (personnel of perfume-producing companies, pers. comm.,

March 1998).  At least four of the 13 companies have large production sites outside Germany, e.g. in

France and Switzerland, and operate on a worldwide scale, but these four large perfume oil and scent

manufacturers reported not to have used any natural musk in their products since at least 1990.  Only two

companies of the 13 stated that they occasionally use small amounts (a few grammes per year) of natural

musk.  According to one manufacturer, other medium-sized manufacturing companies in Germany, apart

from those surveyed, no longer use natural musk either. 

France has the most traditional perfume industry in Europe.  There may be more than a hundred perfume

houses, large and small, working in this sector, creating all kinds of new and classic fragrances.  Assuming

that the musk imported to France was used primarily in the European perfume industry, the share of musk

used in perfumes by France constituted between 5% and 15% of the unprocessed musk in trade globally

from 1978 to 1996.

Information from literature (Green and Taylor, 1986), as well as from personnel in the German perfume

industry (pers. comm., April 1998), indicates that only the most traditional and expensive perfume houses

may still use amounts of the order of some hundreds of grammes, ranging in some cases to some

kilogrammes, of natural musk per year.  In July 1998, nine of the biggest and/or notable classic French

perfume houses were asked if they still used natural musk in their products.  Of the nine, four have so far

not responded; one replied that natural musk was not used in their products any more; another failed to

respond to the question asked; and a further three responded that they were still using natural musk in a

few traditional fragrances, but with a predicted decline in use over the next few years.  Nevertheless, the

use of natural musk in the French perfume industry is still estimated to amount to some kilogrammes per

year (perfume producing company personnel, in litt., 1998).  The reasons for the decline in use of natural

musk in the French perfume industry are given opposite (see paragraph beginning “The following 

reasons”

.

..).  Green and Taylor (1986) also reported that natural musk was used by the perfume industry

in only a small number of classic and expensive perfumes in France.  These included, for example,

Chanel’s No 5, Desprez’s Bal à Versailles, Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleu, Rochas’s Madame Rochas and

Shiseido’s Suzuro

.

The perfume oil and scent-manufacturing sector is not as large in Switzerland as in neighbouring France

and Germany.  Two large companies manufacturing perfume oils and scents in Switzerland were asked

about the use of natural musk in their products.  Both companies reported that they had not used natural

musk for at least 10 years (personnel of perfume producing companies, pers. comm., April 1998).  One

Swiss manufacturer declared that the sector uses less and less natural musk in perfumes. 

In February 1998, TRAFFIC Europe-Germany visited Beauty World in Frankfurt, Europe‘s largest trade

fair for cosmetics and perfumes, hosting 500 exhibitors from 25 countries.  TRAFFIC Europe-Germany

interviewed 28 of the 62 exhibitors representing the perfume and cosmetics sectors, including exhibitors

from Germany, France and Belgium (and also the USA).  Most indicated that they did not know the

composition of  their products.  Only one French exhibitor said that his company’s products contained

genuine musk.  However, he was unable to say whether the musk originated from musk deer or from other

plant or animal species.

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The following reasons were given to explain why

German, French and Swiss perfume and scent manufac-

turers today no longer use natural musk (personnel of

perfume producing companies, pers. comm., April

1998):

Û

Natural musk is very expensive, costing up to

US$50-55/g to perfume companies.  Synthetic

musk is substantially cheaper.  Perfumes

would be prohibitively expensive if they

contained natural musk and as the struggle for

market share is very intense in the perfume and

cosmetics sector, companies must offer their

products at competitive prices.  The price of

perfume products in the moderate and

inexpensive categories in Germany and other

European countries virtually precludes their

containing natural musk. 

Û

Some manufacturers mentioned animal

welfare and species conservation reasons for

refraining from using natural musk.  Clients

in Europe are increasingly sensitive about

these issues and manufacturing companies

may often respond to such consumer sensi-

tivities by dropping the use of relevant ingre-

dients, for example, animal substances.

Û

Natural musk is very difficult to obtain and

the supply on the international market is not

sufficiently stable for manufacturers of

perfume oils and scents.  

Û

Natural musk is of inconsistent quality.

Û

A further reason mentioned by one manufacturing company for ceasing to use natural musk

alluded to related technical difficulties in manufacturing.

Perfume oil and scent manufacturers were asked whether natural musk may again be used by the industry

in the future, especially since synthetic musk is associated with health risks (see Synthetic musk).  All the

respondents believed that the use of natural musk in the perfume industry will continue to diminish

(personnel of perfume producing companies, pers. comms, April 1998).  The development and use of new

synthetic musk compounds is regarded as highly promising for the perfume industry and more likely to

happen than a renewed increase in the use of natural musk.

Information from European, German and French associations of perfume-manufacturers

Three international associations of scent manufacturing companies of the European perfume and

cosmetics industry were consulted about the use of musk.  They also reported that natural musk has only

restricted use in perfume manufactured in Europe, because of the high price and the difficulty in procuring

natural musk (personnel of scent-manufacturing company  associations, pers. comm., March 1998).  None

Early eighteenth century south German

rock-crystal phial in gilt mounting

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edit:

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