October 19, 2025

The Evolution of Musk - Part 1

39 minutes

This week, Karen is introducing the first in a two-part series on musk. Musk started life as one of the most prestigious materials in the world of perfumery and was often associated with nobility and power. However, over the years, it has constantly evolved and, today, is seen as one of the most common and well-known materials in all of perfumery. In this episode, Karen takes you on a journey from the beginnings of musk to its place in the modern-day world and how it has shaped both perfumery and culture over hundreds of years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Musk has a long and fascinating history. Karen takes us through it from its origins in central Asia to its everyday use today.

Historically, musk was sourced from the glands of male deer; however, as the species became endangered, the material could no longer be sourced from the animal. In 1888, Albert Baur made a discovery that changed musk forever.

In the 1970s, a number of fragrances entered the market that changed musk to a much more accessible product. Karen explains how and why.

By the late 1980s, musk was mainstream, in large part due to the Body Shop’s ‘White Musk’. Karen breaks down how this shift affected the perfume industry and people’s perception of musk.

BEST MOMENTS

“Over the years, musk has gone from one of the most expensive materials you can buy to one of the most common synthetics in the world.”

“Musk moved from a sexy smell of desire to one of laundry and light, airiness.”

“Musk feeds that need we have for comfort, especially when the world outside is a much more intense and scary place.”

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

Website

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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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