Material guide · 5
Material guide: methyl dihydrojasmonate (Hedione) — why the catalogue search comes up empty
· 13 min read
Articles call it Hedione; supplier catalogues list methyl dihydrojasmonate — one material, one trade name, one chemical name. It is the transparent backbone of modern jasmine, stocked by 102 suppliers. With a magnifying-glass section on the science: it was identified as a ligand of the putative human pheromone receptor VN1R1, but that field is far from settled.
The most common thing that happens when a beginner tries to buy this material: ten articles call it Hedione, and the supplier catalogue returns nothing.
What matters
- Hedione is a trade name; the catalogue name is methyl dihydrojasmonate (MDJ). Same material. Search the chemical name and 102 suppliers carry it.
- It is modern perfumery's "transparent jasmine": never loud, never sugary, it opens a formula up and makes it airy. Medium strength, yet doses of 5–20% are routine.
- About the "human pheromone" story: the science is real but far from settled. It is laid out plainly at the end; don't swallow it whole.
The record
| Chemical name | methyl dihydrojasmonate (MDJ) |
| Common trade name | Hedione (other houses use other names) |
| CAS | 24851-98-7 |
| Formula | C₁₃H₂₂O₃ |
| Odour | floral, oily, jasmine, green, lactonic, tropical, sweet, fruity, citrus |
| Strength | medium |
| Substantivity | 72 h (neat, on a strip) |
| Specific gravity | 0.997–1.006 (25 °C) |
| Shelf life | 36 months or longer (cool, dark, sealed) |
| Registers | GRAS, JECFA, CoE, FEMA GRAS, IFRA |
Plain reading: CAS is the material's ID number. Trade names change, CAS does not, so cross-catalogue searches are safest by CAS. A substantivity of 72 hours sits between linalool (12 h) and patchouli (top of scale): the border of heart and base.
Trade names versus chemical names: the lesson first
The fragrance trade is full of this double naming: the company that developed a molecule registers a memorable trade name, and everyone else producing the same molecule must use the chemical name or their own brand. So:
- Reading articles or listening to podcasts, you will meet the trade name, Hedione.
- In catalogues and price comparisons, use the chemical name (methyl dihydrojasmonate) or the CAS (24851-98-7).
- Our database files it under the chemical name; this page is the entry.
This is also the price-comparison basic from the cost article: paying extra for the same molecule under a different name is one of the most common beginner tuitions.
For how trade names, chemical names and CAS numbers divide the work, see Why fragrance-material names so often mislead.
What it is
MDJ belongs to the jasmonate family. Its close cousin methyl jasmonate is a genuine signalling molecule inside plants, and members of this family occur in natural jasmine. Our database carries 6 supplied jasmon* materials, from (Z)-jasmone (46 suppliers) to methyl jasmonate (22).
What it gives a perfume is not a copy of the jasmine flower but the transparent, slightly green, faintly lemony halo inside jasmine's smell. Alone it is quiet. The first time I put it on a strip I honestly wondered whether my bottle had anything in it. In a formula it shows its hand: it spreads florals open, extends citrus, and gives the whole thing a sense of moving air. That is why its dose can be counter-intuitive; in many modern formulae it is among the largest single ingredients.
Practical points:
- Meet it inside a formula, not only on a strip. Finding it unremarkable alone is normal; the work only shows in company.
- Starter experiment: take any of your three-material accords, add 10% MDJ, and smell again. The cheapest lesson in what "diffusion" means.
- It barely ages. A 36-month shelf life and a stable nature make it the least worrying bottle on the shelf.
About that "human pheromone" story
“Hedione is a human pheromone” grew from real studies, but the sentence outruns their results. Researchers showed activity at the putative receptor VN1R1 and observed brain-activation and behavioural differences; they did not establish Hedione as a confirmed human pheromone, and the behavioural findings still need independent replication.
For why receptor activity, brain imaging and behaviour cannot simply be treated as one claim, see What did that fragrance study actually prove?. The reason to buy Hedione remains its transparent jasmine lift in a formula.
The catalogue family
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| methyl dihydrojasmonate (102 suppliers) | the material itself. Note the cis-isomer ratio on specifications — high-cis grades smell stronger |
| (Z)-jasmone (46) | the more petal-like, denser cousin |
| methyl jasmonate (22) | the cousin with a day job as a plant signalling molecule |
| dihydrojasmone / isojasmone | cheaper jasmine-ish molecules, flatter in quality |
Regulatory
Listed on GRAS, JECFA, CoE, FEMA GRAS, IFRA. As always: registers carry no limit values. MDJ is regulatorily uncomplicated; for skin formulae consult the current IFRA Standards and the supplier's specification.
Buying it
- Search by chemical name or CAS rather than Hedione. That is this guide's first lesson.
- Read the cis-isomer ratio on the specification. High-cis grades are stronger and pricier; the standard grade is entirely enough for beginners.
- Buy the big bottle with confidence. High doses plus a long shelf life make it one of the few materials where 100 mL is not a gamble.
→ Methyl dihydrojasmonate in the database: full properties, supplier list, suggested pairings. → (Z)-jasmone | Search by odour: try "jasmine green" for the family.
References
I. Wallrabenstein et al., The smelling of Hedione results in sex-differentiated human brain activity, NeuroImage, 113, 365–373 (2015). PMID 25797832
S. Berger, H. Hatt & A. Ockenfels, Exposure to Hedione increases reciprocity in humans, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 11, 79 (2017). PMID 28512400