Iso E Super: The Invisible Ingredient That Makes People Sniff You Twice

First synthesized in the late 1970s by chemist John B. Hall at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), Iso E Super is a synthetic aromatic molecule known for its woody, velvety, ambergris-like scent. But describing it simply as "woody" doesn’t do it justice. It's more like a soft-focus filter for fragrance — subtle, transparent, yet addictive. To some noses, it smells like pencil shavings. To others, it's like warm skin or clean, sunlit wood. And to some people it barely registers i.e., they are anosmic to it — meaning their noses simply don’t pick it up. Others find it too synthetic, or get headaches from high concentrations. Like any ingredient, it’s not universal. But for many, it's a quiet obsession.

Iso E Super is the trade name for a group of closely related cyclic ketones — synthetic molecules that fall under the broader class of woody ambers. Its primary component is 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthyl)ethan-1-one. Yes, that’s a mouthful. It’s often abbreviated as OTNE, and it's a bicyclic compound with a ketone functional group and multiple methyl groups, which contribute to its unique scent profile and stability.

What makes Iso E Super so fascinating isn’t just how it smells — it’s how it behaves. The molecule has low volatility, meaning it lingers close to the skin and blends with your body chemistry. This creates that elusive “your skin but better” effect.

Even more intriguing: olfactory fatigue. After a few minutes of wearing it, many people can’t smell it anymore — but others around you can. That’s why fragrances with high doses of Iso E Super often get unexpected compliments long after you've stopped noticing them yourself.

While Iso E Super is used in hundreds of perfumes as a base note enhancer, a few cult-favorite fragrances put it front and center:

• Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01: It’s literally just Iso E Super in a bottle — and it’s famous for prompting strangers to stop and ask what you’re wearing.

• Hermes - Terre d’Hermès: - A refined, masculine signature that wraps citrus and vetiver around a backbone of Iso E Super, creating an airy, mineral-like finish.

• Glossier - You: A millennial favorite that uses Iso E Super to create that clean, skin-like intimacy, amplified by musks and ambrette.

While most perfume ingredients simply evaporate and fade, Iso E Super actually transforms in the air due to a slow autoxidation process — meaning it reacts with oxygen over time. This subtle chemical change creates trace amounts of aldehydes and other oxidized products, which slightly alter its scent profile the longer it sits on skin or fabric. Initial scent is often described as cedarwood, pencil shavings, or velvety amber. After a few hours some people perceive a faint floral, musky, or even lightly spicy quality — which wasn’t there at first. These effects are not due to perfumer design, but air chemistry.

Perfumers love Iso E Super for several reasons:

• Versatility: It blends well with everything — florals, spices, musks, woods.

• Longevity: It extends the life of top notes and adds a diffusive quality to the scent.

• Skin Chemistry: It adapts to the wearer, giving each person a slightly different experience.

• Regulatory Ease: Unlike oak moss or natural musks, Iso E Super is safe, stable, and doesn’t come with complex restrictions.

In short: it’s a perfumer’s secret weapon.

Iso E Super paved the way for a new category of minimalist, molecule-based perfumes that emphasize skin, texture, and personal chemistry over bold sillage. As trends move toward intimacy and subtle luxury, don’t be surprised if more of your favorite perfumes quietly lean on this whispering wood note.

So next time someone tells you, “You smell really good, but I can’t tell what it is,” you might just smile and know: it's Iso E Super doing its thing.

Have you tried Molecule 01 or noticed Iso E Super in your favorite scent? Drop your experience in the comments — especially if people have followed you just to ask what you’re wearing.