I want to smell like Woolite.

June 21, 2022 10:02 AM

I recently bought a small bottle of Woolite Extra Delicates. I am obsessed with the scent. Can someone help me identify what it is so I can try to find similar-smelling products?

Based on what I can identify:
- There is definitely some sort of "baby shampoo" or "baby wash" undertone in there.
- I think it might also contain whatever manufacturers use for "clean"/"clean laundry"/"cotton" scents.

But there is at least one other element I cannot place, which makes the detergent scent lighter and sharper than either the "baby" products or the artifical clean smell. The overall impression is indeed "clean" yet also...soothing? But without being cloying.

Does anyone have any idea what compound or marketing name I should look for to try to find candles, perfumes etc. that smell something like it?

posted by peakes to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Demeter’s Fuzzy Sweater, possibly combined with Baby Shampoo, or maybe Laundromat.
posted by Mizu at 10:10 AM on June 21, 2022 [4 favorites]

Most laundry products contain fragrances called aldehydes, which is responsible for that "clean laundry" smell. So you may want to seek out a fragrance that includes "aldehydic" as one of its characteristics.
posted by Fuego at 10:57 AM on June 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Also, I just asked one of my colleagues (I work at a fragrance house that makes these scents, but not for this particular product), and even though she hasn't smelled it herself, she said that baby/extra gentle varieties often include a note of musk or sandalwood, so that could be what you're smelling too.
posted by Fuego at 11:04 AM on June 21, 2022 [6 favorites]

Try CLEAN perfumes, especially The Original, Fresh Laundry, Soft Laundry, and Pure Soap. Sephora sells their products.
posted by neushoorn at 12:08 PM on June 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

This is my favourite type of fragrance. You could also look at Lazy Sunday Afternoon by Replica, and Pure Grace by Philosophy. Both are predominantly musky fragrances.
posted by unicorn chaser at 2:40 AM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

Try Target's Mix: Bar Cloud Musk. It doesn't last very long, but it's cheap enough ($20 for 1.7 oz/50ml) that you can afford to respray it.
posted by virago at 9:16 AM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Oh ok wow, I would NEVER have thought about musk/sandalwood, but now I think of it I guess that makes sense. Can't wait to try some of these suggestions, thanks everybody!!
posted by peakes at 2:28 PM on June 22, 2022

Maybe Amberette by Le Labo. My fave. It smells amazing!
posted by bookworm4125 at 6:30 PM on June 24, 2022 [1 favorite]