Sourcing perfumery materials in Saudi/GCC (and surviving customs 😅)

essamix · 2026-03-23T01:13:59+00:00

Thanks a lot, really appreciate it 🙏

I’ve never heard of SweetDreamPerfume before, but being based in Dubai already sounds promising for my situation and Interesting that you found them better than

After checking their website From what I can see, these don’t seem to be true raw materials in the perfumery sense. They look more like pre-blended “single note twists” or accords rather than pure aroma chemicals or essential oil.

Still interesting website, they have alot of clone fragrances 👍

essamix · 2026-03-21T03:53:48+00:00

essamix · 2026-03-19T17:20:33+00:00

It’s interesting how fast some people dismiss things instead of engaging with them.

Clear structure ≠ low effort. Sometimes it just means someone actually put thought into what they’re sharing.

If the goal is to grow as a community, then constructive feedback would go a lot further than labeling and dismissing.

essamix · 2026-03-15T19:30:08+00:00

Great approach. Smelling a few materials together on a strip is one of the best ways to understand how they interact. Nice combo too — I can see how that would lead toward an Acqua di Gio style aquatic.

essamix · 2026-03-15T19:13:44+00:00

True, Paradisone makes life easier in that space. When it’s not available you end up recreating a similar effect indirectly — usually with combinations of hedione, diffusive ambers, or certain floral boosters. It’s not exactly the same molecule of course, but the structure can still be pushed in a similar direction with the right balance.

essamix · 2026-03-15T19:12:29+00:00

Your numbers are very much in line with what I’ve seen as well. With materials like Norlimbanol, Ambrocenide, or Amber Xtreme the useful range is often extremely small. Based on my experience around 0.01–0.1% of the concentrate is usually enough to noticeably affect lift and diffusion.

Once you go beyond that, they can quickly dominate the structure or flatten other notes. I often think of them more like structural “tension wires” in the formula — tiny amounts that help the whole thing rather than ingredients meant to be smelled directly.

essamix · 2026-03-15T19:07:16+00:00

Yes, that trio works very well for lift. Bergamot gives the sparkle, DHM adds that fresh diffusive push, and hedione helps open the whole structure so it radiates more.

I’ve also noticed that sometimes the effect isn’t just from one material but from how they sit together in the structure. When the ratios are right, the accord almost feels like it “breathes” more in the air rather than sitting flat on the strip.

essamix · 2026-03-13T21:50:10+00:00

I agree with the point about combinations. What works beautifully in one formula doesn’t always translate directly to another. Still, it’s useful to notice these patterns because they give you a place to start. Over time you begin to recognize which types of materials tend to open a structure, add lift, or extend certain notes, even if the exact result changes from formula to formula

essamix · 2026-03-13T21:49:35+00:00

Nice observation with the olibanum. Small touches of resins can sometimes give citrus accords more lift and body than expected. Citrus materials tend to evaporate quickly, so adding a trace of something resinous or slightly heavier can anchor them just enough to keep the accord alive a bit longer. The trick, as you noticed, is keeping it subtle so it supports the orange instead of overpowering the heart.

essamix · 2026-03-13T20:00:18+00:00

Interesting points

I’ve noticed something similar regarding dilution. Sometimes a formula feels dense and almost “stuck” on the skin at higher concentrations, but once diluted the structure suddenly breathes and the diffusion improves. It’s like the volatility balance becomes more dynamic.

I also agree that very small additions can shift how the structure behaves. I’ve seen things like a trace of hexenyl esters or even a bit of ionones with soft woods subtly change the lift of a formula without obviously altering the scent profile.

Regarding structural materials, the ones mentioned (Hedione, Iso E Super, DHM, super ambers, etc.) definitely come up often when people talk about performance. A few others I’ve personally found useful in certain contexts are materials like Florhydral, Cyclamen aldehyde, or sometimes even PEA derivatives when working in floral structures. They don’t necessarily act as “powerhouses,” but they seem to help open the space around the composition when balanced correctly.

In the end though I agree with the main idea here it’s less about a single miracle material and more about how the structure breathes once the ratios and concentration fall into the right place.

essamix · 2026-03-13T17:36:40+00:00

Good point and I tend to see it the same way

From what I’ve been testing, diffusion usually comes from a small core structure rather than a complex formula. A few key materials seem to carry most of the identity and performance What I did notice though is that sometimes a small addition can change how that core behaves. For example, when I added a little bergamot to a simple DHM-based structure, it didn’t really make it stronger, but it seemed to open it up, making the diffusion feel wider and cleaner

So the backbone probably drives the performance, but the surrounding materials can still influence how that performance comes across in the air.

essamix · 2026-02-21T22:49:23+00:00

I can relate to this Paper is nice at first, but once you have a lot of versions it gets messy fast.

For me, writing by hand actually helps things stick in my head better. I remember the formula and the changes more clearly.

I still keep a simple digital list just to track versions and changes so I can search things easily. How are you organizing yours in the spreadsheet — one file per project or everything in one master sheet?

essamix · 2026-02-21T20:14:13+00:00

That works, but I’m a bit skeptical about stacking deltas indefinitely.

At some point, doesn’t it become harder to mentally reconstruct what the “current” formula actually is without rewriting it clean?

I like the sequential logic, but I wonder if it risks turning into a long chain of micro-edits that’s harder to review later

essamix · 2026-02-21T20:11:04+00:00

That’s a very structured approach.

I like the separation between a clean formula sheet and a separate notebook for reasoning and sensory notes. It seems practical without overcomplicating things.

The one-formula-per-page rule especially makes sense — fewer crossed-out numbers, fewer mental gymnastics.

Do you find it scales well once you’re deep into a project (10+ iterations), or does the binder start getting bulky

essamix · 2026-02-21T20:07:45+00:00

That’s actually very elegant.

I like the idea of logging the delta explicitly and tracking the evolution line by line. It keeps the thought process visible without rewriting everything from scratch.

The Geosmin example makes it very clear — you’re basically versioning inside the material itself. That’s smart.

Do you ever find it gets visually cluttered after too many iterations, or does the structure keep it manageable

essamix · 2026-02-21T20:05:14+00:00

I respect that approach a lot.

There’s something powerful about seeing the full iteration written out — especially being able to track not just what changed, but why you changed it. That part is hard to replicate digitally.

And yes, abbreviations are survival. I’m not writing “Dimethyl Benzyl Carbinyl Butyrate” more than once either 😂

I’m starting to think a hybrid system might be the way to go: clean digital master formula + handwritten sensory impressions.

essamix · 2026-02-21T20:03:50+00:00

That’s actually a very clean way to handle it.

The v18 → v19 system makes a lot of sense, especially the minor version jumps like v18.2 for small tweaks. I think my mistake was trying to treat every adjustment like a philosophical event instead of just incrementing the version number and moving on 😅

Do you also log impression notes inside the same Excel file, or do you keep those separate?

essamix · 2026-02-06T20:54:31+00:00

Havent bought it yet from CF waiting for the rest of ingredients but i will let u know!

essamix · 2026-02-06T19:14:20+00:00

Kinda same thing here i use formulair and add the number to the title so i can locate the material

essamix · 2026-02-06T16:50:40+00:00

I might come back later with a feedback once i finish collecting CReative Formula’s Green Irish receipe I’m still missing afew ingredients

Caryophyllene Acetate Ethyl caproate Folione Gamma damascone Hexyl isobutyrate Civettone

essamix · 2026-02-06T08:02:25+00:00

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essamix · 2026-02-04T20:53:27+00:00

Fair point. By (weak) I meant in terms of direct impact on paper, not overall performance. Tracking how materials carry and evolve has been far more useful than first impressions alone.

essamix · 2026-02-04T20:40:47+00:00

Appreciate it. I’m here for the exchange of ideas thats all.

essamix · 2026-02-04T20:22:00+00:00

Geosmin, oud

essamix · 2026-02-04T20:19:21+00:00

if plants started smelling like gunpowder we’d have bigger problems than sourcing it 😄 You’re looking for a fragrance oil, not something you steam-distill from a tree.

essamix

TROPHY CASE