Coumarin

Say itKOO-muh-rin

Sweet new-mown hay, almond and tobacco with warm vanillic softness.

What it is: A molecule made in a lab, first made by William Henry Perkin (first synthesis) in 1868.
Where it comes from: natural in tonka, hay and cassia; mostly synthetic
When you smell it: Dry-down: hours later.
What perfumers do with it: Heart of fougères and orientals; sweetens lavender and gives hay-tobacco warmth.
Worth knowing: Named after coumarou, French for the tonka bean; the US banned it as a food additive in 1954.
Known in: Fougère Royale (Houbigant, 1882); Jicky (Guerlain, 1889)
Rules: Limited. IFRA use limits (skin sensitiser); EU label-declared allergen.
Also called: 2H-Chromen-2-one; tonka camphor