Afixative is a substance used to equalize thevapor pressures, and thus thevolatilities, of the raw materials in aperfume oil, and to increase the perfume's odourtenacity.[1][2]
In simple words, fixatives increase the time for which the scent of a perfume lasts.
Fixatives can beresinoids (e.g.benzoin,labdanum,myrrh,olibanum,storax,tolu balsam),terpenoids (e.g.ambroxide), polycyclic ketones (e.g.civetone andmuscone), which were originally obtained from animals, but are now mostlychemically synthesized because the artificial methods are more economical, more consistent and more ethical (animals need to be killed or kept in captivity to collect thesecretions from theirperineal glands). Synthetic fixatives include substances of low volatility (e.g.diphenylmethane,dipropylene glycol (DPG),cyclopentadecanolide,ambroxide,benzyl salicylate) and virtually odorlesssolvents with very low vapor pressures (e.g.benzyl benzoate,diethyl phthalate,triethyl citrate).[1]
