October 12, 2025

Soapy, Sparkling, Strange - A Journey Through Aldehydes

30 minutes

After last week’s episode on Chanel No. 5 and its revolutionary use of aldehydes, Karen is going to delve deeper into this fragrance family and its role in the world of perfume. Whilst most people associate aldehydes with Chanel and, in domestic use, soap, there are many different types of aldehydes that produce various fragrances. So, if you want to know your aliphatics from your aromatics, then this is the episode for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Whilst organic in their chemistry, aldehydes are synthetic in fragrance. However, natural aldehydes are starting to appear. Karen details the availability of these materials and what the future might hold.

Aliphatic aldehydes, the most well-known aldehydes, are complex in their makeup and cover a wide range of materials. Karen breaks down what they are, their uses, and in which products you will find them.

Aromatic aldehydes are soft, powdery, and sweet-smelling materials and do not resemble what most people associate with aldehydes. Karen shares some well-known fragrances that utilize them and explains how they can best serve you.

Green aldehydes are very herbal and are the ones that most people use when first experimenting with perfumery. But what do they smell like, and where can you find them?

BEST MOMENTS

“It’s important to smell these materials yourself. It’s impossible to build your own associations if you’re just reading off a list.”

“Aldehydes oxidise much quicker than most materials, they don’t last as long and can have chemical reactions within your fragrance.”

“If something smells inherently soapy, it’s not necessarily the smell, it’s because your brain has linked that smell to products that use a certain aldehyde.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Materials Mastery

Studio Classes

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

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This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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By Karen Gilbert

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