Fragrance-Free Nation: Fragrances and Animals

The fact that animals create hormone-exciting pheromones has not gone unnoticed by the perfume industry. One of the first pheromone-based perfumes was Jovan Musk. It was popular and very trendy back in the 70's. The musk used in Jovan was not extracted from an animal but created chemically. There are pheromone-based perfumes that use secretions from animals. The secretions are called civet, castorium, and musk. Civet comes from the spray of the civet cat, a member of the mongoose family. Castorium comes from the peri-anal glands of beavers. Musk comes from the a gland in the genitalia of the musk deer. Chanel, Lancome, and Cartier admit to using animal civet in their fragrances. Chanel is going to be using up their stock of natural civet and creating synthetic civet, and Lancome may begin to use synthetic civet in the future.

Chemically-produced pheromones are not all bad. If your dog is showing signs of anxiety, D.A.P. or Dog Appeasing Pheromones may help. When a puppy is born, the mother secretes pheromones that bond the puppy to her. When that puppy leaves its mother, that calming pheromone is no longer around and the puppy will become anxious. The chemically-produced D.A.P. can be used as a sort of "air-freshener" for the puppy in your home. It plugs into an electrical outlet and is released into the air. Humans don't pick up on the scent, but your dog will be calmer. This can be helpful for adult dogs who are exhibiting fear and stress-related behaviors. For more on D.A.P., click on the two links below:

Dog Appeasing Pheromones

Veterinary Products Laboratories

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