Ingredient explainer
Estratetraenol Acetate
Evidence: Weak
The acetate ester of estratetraenol — a synthetic prodrug meant to hydrolyze on skin back to the female-signal estratetraenol; no verifiable CAS.
Estratetraenol acetate is a formulator's tweak on estratetraenol : cap the 3-hydroxyl with an acetate group and you get an ester that is more stable in the bottle and, in theory, slowly hydrolysed back to estratetraenol by the esterase enzymes in skin. It is a genuine prodrug idea. It is also obscure enough that it has no CAS number we could verify, which the honest entry has to say plainly.
What it is, structurally
Estratetraenol acetate is the 3-O-acetyl ester of estratetraenol — estra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-yl acetate. Its parent, estratetraenol , is C18H22O (CAS 1150-90-9); adding an acetyl group at the 3-position gives an expected molecular formula of C20H24O2. The acetate cap blocks the free hydroxyl until an enzyme removes it, which is the entire design intent.
CAS number and chemistry
Here is the honest part. We could not find a verifiable, assigned CAS Registry Number for estratetraenol acetate, and it does not have its own PubChem entry that we could confirm. The parent estratetraenol is well-registered (CAS 1150-90-9), but the acetate ester appears to be a niche synthetic derivative that has not been formally catalogued in the databases we checked. The formula above is derived from the structure, not read from a registry — so treat any specific CAS printed on a label for this compound with caution. Contrast that with methoxyestratetraenol , the methyl ether, which does have a CAS.
The prodrug logic
The design is sound in principle. Esterases in skin routinely cleave acetate esters, so an applied estratetraenol acetate should hydrolyse back to free estratetraenol over time — a slow-release version of the active female-signal molecule. This is a standard prodrug strategy in pharmacology. What is untested is whether the ester actually delivers more usable estratetraenol to the right place than simply applying the free alcohol would. Plausible mechanism, no comparative data.
How it differs from the methyl ether
This distinction matters and the community draws it correctly: an acetate ester is a true prodrug — cleaved back to the active compound — whereas the methyl ether methoxyestratetraenol is not readily hydrolysed back to estratetraenol and, if it acts, acts as its own molecule. So estratetraenol acetate is the one of the two actually intended to become estratetraenol on skin.
What wearers report, and products
Reports for the acetate specifically are thin; most of its reputation is inherited from estratetraenol , the female-signal molecule it is meant to release. It shows up in niche women's blends aiming for a longer, steadier estratetraenol effect. Our best pheromone perfumes for women roundup covers the finished products in this space.
The honest read
Estratetraenol acetate is a real, sensible prodrug idea — a slow-release cap on the female-signal molecule — built on obscure chemistry with no verifiable CAS and no comparative evidence that it outperforms plain estratetraenol. Interesting as a formulation concept; thin as a documented ingredient. If you buy it, buy from a vendor who can tell you exactly what they synthesised.
Prodrugs in pheromone formulation
The idea behind estratetraenol acetate is borrowed straight from pharmacology, where “capping” a reactive group as an ester is a standard way to make a molecule more stable, less irritating, or slower to release. In a fragrance context the appeal is obvious: a free hydroxyl steroid can be volatile and short-lived, so an acetate cap that skin esterases slowly remove could, in principle, stretch the active molecule's presence out over a wear.
The honest limit is that “in principle” is doing a lot of work. Nobody has published a comparison showing the acetate delivers more usable estratetraenol to the right place than the free alcohol does, and the ester itself has no verifiable CAS to anchor it. It is a reasonable formulation concept awaiting evidence, which is a fair thing to say about a lot of this category.
FAQ
Does estratetraenol acetate have a CAS number?
Not one we could verify. The parent estratetraenol is CAS 1150-90-9, but the acetate ester appears not to be formally registered in the databases we checked.
What is estratetraenol acetate supposed to do?
Act as a prodrug that hydrolyses on skin back to estratetraenol , the proposed female pheromone — a slow-release delivery idea.
Is it better than estratetraenol?
Unproven. The prodrug logic is reasonable, but there is no comparative data showing it delivers more usable estratetraenol than the free alcohol.
Is estratetraenol acetate stronger than estratetraenol?
It is marketed as more potent via slow release, but that is unproven. The prodrug logic is sound; there is no comparative data showing it beats plain estratetraenol .
Does estratetraenol acetate have estrogenic activity?
Any activity would come from the estratetraenol it releases on hydrolysis; estratetraenol itself is a weak-signal steroid rather than a strong estrogen. As with the other estratetraenes, applying it to clothing rather than skin is a reasonable, cautious default.
Further reading
PubChem. Estra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol (parent), CID 101988 (CAS 1150-90-9).
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