The Ethics of Fragrance Ingredients

## Animal-Derived Ingredients: A History For centuries, the most prized fragrance ingredients came from animals. Musk from the musk deer. Civet from the civet cat. Ambergris from the sperm whale. Castoreum from the beaver. Each of these ingredients has an extraordinary olfactory character — rich, animalic, deeply compelling — and each comes with an ethical cost that the modern fragrance industry has had to reckon with. ## What Has Changed **Musks** — Animal musk deer is now protected under CITES (the international wildlife trade agreement). The fragrance industry has moved almost entirely to synthetic musks — nitromusks and polycyclic musks — that replicate the warmth and fixative qualities of natural musk without the animal cost. Modern synthetic musks are sophisticated and beautiful. **Civet** — Live civet cats were kept in captivity and their glandular secretions harvested painfully. This practice is now widely condemned and largely replaced by synthetic civetone. **Ambergris** — A waxy substance produced in the digestive tract of sperm whales and found floating on the ocean or washed ashore. Its use is controversial but its sourcing does not require harming animals. Synthetic ambroxide replicates its warm, marine quality. ## Oud and Sustainability Natural oud requires the infection of *Aquilaria* trees — a slow process that has led to widespread illegal logging and the near-extinction of wild *Aquilaria* populations. Sustainable oud cultivation exists and is growing, but verification requires care. At Mondmorrea, we source oud only from certified sustainable plantations. ## Our Commitments No animal-derived ingredients are used in Mondmorrea fragrances. Where we use ingredients with complex supply chains (oud, rose absolute, sandalwood), we source from certified sustainable suppliers and can provide documentation on request.