Exaltone® [cyclopentadecanone] is a luxurious, refined musk that anchors compositions without overpowering them. Its balance of warmth, sweetness, and slight animalic nuance makes it one of the most sophisticated musks available today. Arctander says, “it improves the 'wearability' of a perfume when properly incorporated in the fragrance. Its power becomes more perceptible and evident in extreme dilution, e.g. below one percent in the perfume oil.” To compare Exaltone (this product) and the very similarly named Exalt-en-one [5-cyclohexadecen-1-one] we can say that Exaltone is more powdery, natural, and elegant with a focus on fixative strength, whereas Exaltenone is more powerful, opaque, and animalic, offering a creamier and robust musk note. Their differences make them suitable for slightly different roles in perfumery, and choosing between them depends on the desired scent profile and budget. Because it is costly we are also offering it diluted to 10% in benzyl benzoate (IFRA maximum use 4.8% of your finished product in category 4). We use benzyl benzoate because it is a very effective solvent for this musk which can be difficult to dilute otherwise. Alternatives if you are wishing to purchase pure and dilute yourself are ethanol or DEP. Comparison to other Macrocyclic Musks Musk Fixation Strength Animalic Intensity Exaltone [this] High Moderate Warm, sweet, slightly animalic musk. Exaltolide® Very High Mild Soft, powdery, slightly floral musk. Exaltenone Very High High Musky-animalic, reminiscent of Tonkin musk. Muscenone® High Moderate Powdery musk with subtle animalic nuances. Muscone Laevo High Very High Strongly musky with a slight animalic note.