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Champaca Flowers vs. Nag Champa Incense


Michelia champaca details, originally uploaded by Amethist.

There is often confusion betweenchampaca flowers and the Nag Champa incense. A current project that involves the champaca as a note engouraged me to both look into the matter, as well as sample a few different champaca essences, and further deepened my intrigue by champaca. I hope you’ll find the following information useful.

Michelia Champaca, also known as “golden champaca” or “red champaca” is a flowering tree from the Magnoliceae family (magnolia alba is another species used for its essential oils in perfumery – from both the flowers and the leaves). It is native to India, Java and the Phillipines. Traditionally, Indian women would wear the buds behind their ears until the bud will open up and release its own scent.

Champaca is also related to Star Anise, and its scent in a way shares the spicy characteristics of star anise as well as the floral-fruitiness of magnolia. Unlike white magnolia, which is peach-like and very light, champaca has a penetrating, smooth and rich aroma that is reminiscent of tea, spices, and a floral note that is often compared to orange blossom. I personally think it is so unique it cannot truly be compared to orange blossom at all. Stephen Arctander describes champaca as similar to guiacwood (a waxy, smoky, tea-rose like wood from South America), yet at the same time mentniones that it is also used to adulterate champaca and therefore is not a very good way to describe champaca… I feel that until champaca is experienced, it is really difficult to describe it or imagine it.

I have experienced various champaca essences, including Champaca CO2, Champaca Absolute and Champaca Concrete. The champaca absolutes I have sampled varied a bit, one being more fruity and reminiscent of magnolia, and the other being more full-bodied, spicy and wine-like. In both cases they were intensely warm and rich but not in overpowering way. There is something really soothing and exoticly elegant about champaca in my opinion. Champaca CO2 is similar to the absolute, but with a less complex presence, and it feels a bit flatter, thin in comparison to the other essences. The lasting power and intensity was not to my satisfaction, but if combined with white magnolia and champaca concrete it creates a lovely champaca profile. The champaca concrete is by far my favourite, having a rich, complex tea-like undertones, a sweet body note, and minty-herbal-spicy overtones.

Those who are familiar with the Nag Champa incense may find champaca scent to be somewhat similar. The reason being that Nag Champa incense incorporates halmaddi, a grey, semi-liquid resin taken from the Alianthus tree, which smells very similar to champaca flower.

The champaca flowers may have been used in the traditional recipes for Nag Champa, but I doubt that any champaca flowers would be found in the myriads of champaca joss sticks that are sold at a very low price across the world. Considering that the going price for champaca absolute is between 3,000-5,000 a kilo, it seems very unlikely. The price is predicted to go only higher, as development in India is booming due to the growth of the high-tech industry there, making land more and more precious. Farmers of exotic oils in India are going to be asking for a much higher price for their fragrant goods to justify not selling their lands.

Because of its price, champaca is rarely used in mainstream perfumery. I have seen it mentioned as a note sporadically, i.e. in Calvin Klein’s Euphoria (can’t say I’ve noticed it though…), and in Patou most recent Sira des Indes. It is also found in a couple of niche fragrances, such as Commes de Garcons Guerilla 1, and of course the infamous Champaca by Ormonde Jayne. But it is most dear to natural perfumers, and I believe it is there where you will find the most intriguing use of champaca, as in the smoky Tango by Aftelier, or the sultry exotic beach scent Fairchild by Anya’s Garden. Over the course of the next few days I will do my best to review these perfumes.

*Many thanks to Christopher MacMahon of White Lotus Aromatics who shared with me his knowledge about Champaca and its current position in India.

Pondering Citrus:

ORIGINS, HISTORY, CULTIVATION AND USES OF CITRUS


pondering citrus, originally uploaded by lorrainemd.

HISTORY AND ORIGINS
We drink our orange juice in the morning without a second thought, squeeze lemon to a salad dressing, and grate citrus rind to flavour cakes and breads; We clean our homes with products that usually contain a large amount of citrus essential oils, and enjoy the cheerful freshness of their scent in many colognes and perfumes. But do we ever stop to ask ourselves where all this citrus fruit actually come from?

The citrus are a genus of many different small (5-15 meter tall) evergreen fruit trees, from the family of Rutaceae (the ruh plant is from the same family too, by the way) and one of the most important cultivated trees in the world. The thick peel protects the juicy pulp and creates a perfect container that can endure travels across the planet. Citrus has become such a staple in so man cuisines – can you ever imagine Mexican green salsa without the lime? A Greek salad without lemon juice & olive oil dressing? A Grand Marnier liquor without the orange essence? Norwegian rye bread without the orange rind? Or any bar that respects itself that is NOT serving a Harvey Wallbanger, Tequilla Sunrise or a Screwdriver? This just shows you how important a staple citrus has become around the world.

Although most of the citrus fruit of the world is exported from Spain, Brazil and some parts of the USA (Florida and California), the origins of the citrus trees are most likely from South-East Asia. The first citrus seeds are believed to have been brought from Asia to Europe and North Africa by Alexander the Great. This is believed to be the citron - genus Citrus medica L. , which was recorded by Theophrastus, in 350 BC.
It is interesting to note that the very same citron fruit, Etrog in Hebrew, was mentioned in the bible as one of the 4 species that are used as symbols in the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (along with a young palm leaf, myrtle and willow branches), which may controversially suggest a different date of writing the bible.

There are many archeological references that show that citrus have become a part of the Meditteranean cultures (the Greeks and than the Romans) for a very long time - i.e. in the remains of Pompei, a ceramic tile showing citrus was found.

Further in history, the citrus seeds were spread by the religious and colonial invaders: the Christians and tha the Muslims spread citrus to the areas of the world that had adequate conditions for the cultivation of citrus – Spain, Portugal, Southern France, Israel, and later on to Africa as well. Columbus brought with him citrus seeds to America, and so did the Portuguese who spread the citrus even further into South America, and from than on colonialism spread it to innumerous islands under their control.

CULTIVATION
Citrus fruit need conditions of a humid and sunny climate, a colder winter and sufficient supply of water (rain or regular watering). The fruit needs the cold months in order to develop the colour and turn from green to yellow or orange shades. Many of the citrus fruit are picked when the peel is still green and develop their colour after being stored in refrigeration during shipping and prior to consumption. The citrus trees do not usually tolerate cold and freezing tempreratures, and those who do survive these conditions will not produce high quality fruit. The citrus industry in the US started to shift from Florida to California after the freezes in the gulf states in the 1960s destroyed many of the orchards in Florida.

Citrus trees readily lend themselves to hybridization by grafting to achieve the desirable performance of the particular fruit (i.e.: flavour, size, colour, juiciness, etc.) and enhance the durability and health of the tree itself (i.e.: resilience against disease an dinsects and hardiness in colder weather conditions).

Citrus trees are grown extensively in warmer countries around the world, and in particular in the Mediterranean Basin (i.e.: Spain, Portugal, Israel), South America (Brazil is one of the main exporters of orange juice, and Mexico is one of the main growers of lime), the USA (mostly California, Florida and Texas), South Africa and Australia.

Hybrids
There are many hybrids of citrus. Their fruit vary in size, shape, skin colour, skin thickness, and flavour. Here is a list of some of the most important from perfume and culinary perspectives and with which I am familiar with:
Bergamot orange
Bitter orange (Seville orange)
Blood Orange
Citron (Citrus Medica)
Clementine
Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi)
Kaffir Lime
Key Lime
Kumquat
Lemon
Lime
Mandarin Orange
Orange (Sweet) – Citrus Sinensis
Pomelo
Satsuma
Tangerine (Citrus Reticulata)
Yuzu

USES OF CITRUS

Culinary
The citrus fruit are made of an outer skin, containing myriads of glands that are full of essential oils and is either green, yellow, or orange, sometimes with a bit or red (as in pink grapefruit and blood orange). The inner peel is white and spongy and is often bitter in flavour. The inner pulp is made of tiny sackets of juice, contained within membrane-covered segments. Each segment often has seeds in the centre. The pulp of the citrus fruit varies in flavour and in juiciness between the different fruit (Pomelo and citron are extremely dry while most oranges and tangerines are very juicy). The flavour ranges form sour and/or bitter to sweet.

The sweet citrus fruit are usually eaten fresh (peeled, scooped) or squeezed into juice. The more tart or tangy are often used as an additional to cooking, condiments, salad dressing, baking, etc.

The unique flavour of citrus peels makes them a popular additive as a spice in many baked goods and sweets. An alcoholic tincture of the oil (along with glycerin as a stabilizer and usually some food colouring) are often sold in lemon and orange flavour (Respectively yellow and orange in colour). The rind of oranges, lemons and limes is often grated to create a fresh, exotic effect in sweets, cakes, cookies and breads, or even in rice pillafs. Citrus leaves can be used in stews, soups and curry dishes – and the particularly infamous for that are the Kaffir lime leaves, often used in Thai curries and soups. The Thai curry paste recipes often call for lime or lemon rind as well.

Candied citrus peel is made by rinsing out the bitterness of the peels in boiling water, than simmering it in sugar syrup. The finest candied citrus is made of citron and pomelo, from the spongy white peel, which is particularly thick in these two fruits and has a unique aroma of its own (none of the outer peel is used as it is way too bitter). Citrus peels are also made into marmalades and lemon juice is often added to jams for its high pectin content (to achieve a jelly-like consistency in the jam). Lemon juice is also drizzled over cut fruit and fruit salads to avoid browning (due to its acidic, anti-oxidant properties).

Medical
Lemon juice can help relieve insect bites.
The vitamin C in citrus fruit helps to prevent Scurvy. The explorers used to carry with them lemons in their ships to prevent that unpleasant disease (lack of vitamin C prevents the body from producing collagen, a protein that accounts for a high percentage of the mucous membranes of the body connecting the different parts - which in this disease results in the body literally falling apart – gradually, of course). So eat your oranges every day keep the doctors away ☺

The citrus essential oils are renowned for their anti-bacterial and antiseptic actions. They are used in cleaning agents and soaps to blast off bacteria, and are also used in aromatherapy practices to strengthen the immune system. A little of citrus oil in a burner or a light-bulb ring during the winter times may help you to keep colds away.

In the early days of perfumery, when the new use for alcohol was discovered, citrus peels, along with astringent herbs, were tinctured into what was called than “Aqua Mirabillis” AKA Miracle Water – a “two-in-one” product: both a cure-it-all beverage/medicine (you got drunk, so you forgot you were sick LOL!) as well a toiletry (and a substitute for bathing, which was considered unsafe back than). One of the most famous of all these Aqua Mirabillis is Muhllens Kolnish Wasser 4711 – a phenomenon that lasted more than 215 years and is about to become extinct, as mentioned earlier on this blog.

Cosmetic and Beauty Uses of Citrus
Lemon juice can be used as a skin tonic. It may burn invisible cuts but it will leave your skin smooth and soft. You can also use the peel of a half lemon that was already squeeze and rub it on your elbows to treat dry, chapped “elephant skin” on your elbows.

Many citrus oils are beneficial for treating acne and oily skin, particularly lemon and neroli hydrosol (orange flower water).

Grapefruit is an excellent oil for treating cellulites when applied to the skin in a bath or a massage or in a body lotion (and also helps to curb the appetite).

* Please note: When using essential oils of citrus on your skin, be sure to not get exposed to the sun afterwards: most citrus oils contain high contents of feranocoumarins, a type of molecule that causes the skin to discolour and/or burn when exposed to the sun. The oils that are particularly known for that are bergamot and lime (in which the feranocoumarins are often removed, partially). In any case, use a very low dilution, and be sure to consult a reliable aromatherapy book on safety considerations and suggested dilution levels.

Importance of Citrus in Perfumery
The importance of citrus essential oils in perfumery is tremendous: the essential oils from the citrus peels are usually obtained by expression (rather than distillation, which would destroy the delicate and volatile oils and oxidize them before their time). That means that the peels are pressed to express the essential oils stored in their glands. These citrus oils (from the peels of the fruit) are often (but not always) a by-product of the juice industry.

These are all top notes, which evaporate very fast. The citrus peel essential oils contain high levels of naturally-occuring aldehydes – highly diffusive molecules that give the perfume a sparkling, effervescent, sweet, refreshing and invigorating aroma, which invites the wearer to a pleasurable olfactory adventure. The citrus top notes (from the peels of the various citrus fruit) has played a significant role in the citrus cologne types fragrances, naturally, but also not any less importance in adding a sweetness and bright contrast to the heaviness of oriental, ambery, resinous, spicy and incensey compositions, and the sparkling harmony of chypre compositions. Not to mention its appearance in too many floral perfumes than we can ever count, fougeres, and practically almost every single fragrance in the world has at least some citrus component to it.

Another important contribution of the citrus trees is their leaves and twigs, often extracted for the creation of a petitgrain oil. The most common petitgrain oil is that of the bergamot tree. However, on lesser scales, other petitgrains are also produced, which have a unique aroma: petitgrain lemon, petitgrain cedrat (citron) and petitgrain combarva (kaffir lime). The petitgrain oils all have a distinctive citrus aroma, reminiscent of the fruit, yet at the same time also possess a certain leafy greenness. Another important thing to know about the petitgrain oils is that they have a more lingering scent – they are usually heart to top notes, and are slower to evaporate than the citrus peel oils. The petitgrain oils are often used in green compositions and in many cologne type fragrances.

Last but not least – the flowers!
Some of you may be familiar with orange flower water or neroli essential oil. These are obtained from the flower of one particular variety of citrus: citrus aurantium – the bitter orange. This is similar to bergamot, only has orange coloured fruit. From these tiny qhite flowers that bloom in the spring, a few precious essences are procured: Neroli oil, through steam distillation; orange flower water (a by product of the neroli production, which is used for cosmetics and also has culinary uses); orange flower absolute by solvent extraction of the flowers; and orange flower water absolute – by alcohol washing of the orange flower water. These essences are used in high class perfumery, mostly in floral, oriental and of course – in citrus colognes. The aroma of these essences is unique in that it is both indolic and fresh, both floral and citrusy.

Flower of Flowers



ylang ylang flowers, originally uploaded by chotda.
Click here to listen to John Spence’s “Ylang Ylang” - a romance for clarinet and piano.
Background and Origin of Ylang Ylang:
Ylang Ylang is an evergreen tropical tree, remotely related to the Magnolia family (they are both from the Magnoliales order), native to Indonesia and possibly also the Philipines. It grows wild in many tropical countries, and is cultivated for its essences mostly in Nossi-Be, the Comoro Islands, which produce about 80% of the worlds’ production Madagascar and to a lesser extend in the Phillipines, Indonesia, Zanzibar, Madagascar and a few of the French South Pacific islands.

The trees grow very fast, and therefore they are pruned in such a way that they start growing horizontally after they reach 7 feet in height. This way, the blossoms can be easily picked by hand. The flowers are green at first, and have little or no scent, and only start to develop their intense aroma when they are fully mature and have turned yellow in colour (some varieties are mauve or pinkish, but their aroma is considered inferior to that of the yellow variety).

The essence of Ylang Ylang is unusual amongst the florals, because it has an extremely high yield and therefore has a much lower price than any other floral essence. The flowers are most commonly steam distilled, and to a lesser extent are solvent extracted to produce an absolute. The trees bloom all year around, which further contributes to the relative abundance of this oil in comparison to other floral essences.

The scent of Ylang Ylang is considered an aphrodisiac. The flowers are spread on the bed of newly wed couples in Indonesia, and are used to adorn the hair and in lays with jasmine sambac flowers (Sampaquita) in the Philippines.

Aromatherapy uses of Ylang Ylang:
Ylang ylang is considered to have aphrodisiac, euphoric, anti-depressant, and stimulant effects on the nervous system. It is recommended to use for conditions such as depression frigidity, nervous tension, and is generally considered an elevating yet soothing aroma.
Hair: Rinsing the hair with Ylang Ylang encourages the hair’s growth
Skin: Acne, irritated & oily skin, insects bites and general skin care
Circulation: Helps to regulate high blood pressure

My Experience with Ylang Ylang:
Ylang Ylang essential oils vary tremendously in quality and character. A good quality Ylang Ylang essential oil should smell creamy, fruity, tenacious, and headily floral but in a very pleasant way. A poor quality ylang ylang can be so terrible it can give a bad reputation to the essence altogether. My first impression of Ylang Ylang was terrible, because I was first introduced to a very poor quality oil. Even though it was graded an “Extra”, it had an unbrearably unpleasant odour that was sharp, heady and almost peppery-dry. This is not how ylang yang is supposed to smell like! Once I explored different oils from different suppliers, I discovered that I actually like this essence a lot. Enough to make an entire perfume dedicated to it – a Ylang Ylang soliflore!

The Ylang Ylang essences I work with now are many and vary, but they all have a very distinguished, soft, exotic, sweet, full-bodied aroma. Some are more heady than others, but they are all so beautiful. Even though Ylang Ylang is yellow in colour, I consider it to be a "white floral". Yet, my association with it are quite colourful - tropical fruit such as mango and pitango, creamy coconut, lays of flowers, and the many colours of corals - orange, red and pink hues... Besides my new Ylang Ylang soliflore, Coralle, I also used fair amounts of Ylang Ylang in White Potion and Tamya, where it plays a key role in the composition (coupled with tuberose in the first and jasmine sambac in the latter); and lesser amounts in Viola (an excellent example of Ylang Ylang's bouqueting abilities) and Autumn. (a Chypre to which the Ylang Ylang adds a fruity nuance)

Ylang Ylang Essences and Grades:
Ylang Ylang essential oil is distilled into several different grades, which are collected in several stages during the distillation:

Ylang Ylang Extra – Contains almost half of the yield of Ylang Ylang. This grade is characterized by a tenacious, sweet, balsamic, fruity odour. It is the most similar to the absolute, but with a lighter, airy opening reminiscent of lilacs, lilies and linalol. Upon drydown it can even be a tad soapy.

Ylang Ylang 1 - I have yet to encounter this grade (or fraction) of ylang ylang as it is most commontly found blended with Ylang Ylang 2 to form the so-called "Ylang Ylang Complete" (see below).

Ylang Ylang 2 - I have encountered only one specimen of Ylang Ylang 2 from a reputable supplier that sells high quality and organically grown oils for aroma therapeutic purposes. This particular specimen is good enough to pass as an "extra" until you hit the dryout and some sharp, slightly green and almost horseradish-like notes appear.

Ylang Ylang 3 – The third and last portion of the distillation. This grade is suave and sweet and full bodied. It also reveals some of the more woody aspects of this complex raw material.

Ylang Ylang Complete – this is suppose to be a mixture of all the four other grades, or an unfractioned distillation of the ylang ylang in its entirety. However, nowadays a Ylang Ylang complete is most likely to be composed of the less desireable grades – Ylang Ylang 1 and Ylang Ylang 2. Because of the unpopularity of these two middle grades (1 & 2), there is, unfortunately, frequent adulteration of Ylang Ylang essential oils by the different grades – either “upgrading” or “downgrading” them (i.e.: mixing the Ylang Ylang 2 with Ylang Ylang 3, to lable it a “Ylang Ylang 3” and the Ylang Ylang 1 with the Ylang Ylang Extra to label it an “Extra”).

Ylang Ylang Concrete is produced by solvent extraction of the flowers. This is an unusual, hard to find floral concrete, and well worth it if you can find it. It is ever so smooth, creamy, sweet, tenacious and warm. It has a unique fruity and creamy nuances, reminiscent of bananas. Unlike most concretes, which are waxy or semi-solid due to the content of floral waxes, ylang ylang concrete is completely liquid, deep amber coloured, with what seems like little waxy particles floating in it.

Ylang Ylang Absolute is obtained by alcohol washing of the concrete. Again, the yield is extremely high (75-82% of the concrete). It is similar in appearance to the concrete, less the waxy particles, although I have encountered some specimens with an olive green colour. It is similar to the ylang ylang extra, only deeper, richer, sweeter, and with less “top notes”. It is more spicy and fruity, presenting the eugenol and cinnamyl acetate; with fruity notes suggesting banana and mango; and animalic-jasminey-like tonalities as well as creamy buttery qualities. But most notably, it feels like a perfume on its own right, with layers upon layers of silky depth and warmth.

Ylang Ylang's Role in Perfumery:
The importance of Ylang Ylang essences to perfumery is tremendous. It blends well with almost everything, and has a particular importance in almost all floral bouquets and compounds, including: hyacinth, lily of the valley, violet, sweet pea, narcissus, lily, gardenia and many, many more. It blends particularly well with jasmine, rose, vetiver, peru balsam, sandalwood, cassie, vanilla, citrus notes and rosewood. It also plays an important role in oriental compositions, lending a sweet, warm, soft bridge between the heavy bases and the spicy top notes. Ylang Ylang is often used in soap bases, and you may be interested to know it plays a key role in perfuming face powders!

Principal constituents of Ylang Ylang:Benzyl acetate (25%)p-cresyl methyl ether (20%) – which is what gives ylang ylang its distinguished fragrance, though on it’s own it does not smell pleasant at all.
methyl benzoate
methyl salicylate
cinnamyl acetate
Geraniol
Linalol
Eugenol

Perfumes with Prominent Ylang Ylang Notes:
Arpège
Chamade
Mahora (now called Mayotte)
No. 5
SongesSamsara
(to name only a few...)
A few words about the meaning of the name – up until very recently, I knew it meant “Flower of Flowers”. I now read that in Tagalog it is derived from the words “Wilderness” and “Rare”. If any of you, my dear readers, who is from the Phillipines, can enlighten me with the true meaning of this fantastic flower of your country – I would be most grateful.

Bibliography (besides the sites that are linked to on this article):
Stephen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural OriginJulia Lawless, Encyclopedia of Essential OilJulia Lawless, Aromatherapy and the MindPoucher's Perfumes, Cosmetics & Soaps Volumes 1 & 2

Decoding Obscure Notes Part VII: Vetiver - Earthy? Woody? Green?


In my series “Decoding Obscure Notes” I try to shed light on some notes that have a confused identity or such vague characteristics that they truly required some more explanation.

Vetiver is not quite an obscure note, but there is a lot to be learned and explored in the realm of vetiver. The reason I decided to add it to the series after all is three-fold:
1) Vetiver varieties differ so vastly between each other that the identity or characteristics of “what vetiver truly is” is a bit vague and open to interpretation. Is vetiver a woody note? Is it earthy?
2) Vetiver has been treated in myriads of ways as a soliflore, to the point that I suspect it is a bit misleading. Particularly for consumers who haven’t experienced an authentic vetiver oil. When we look at the different “vetiver soliflores” offered, the source of the confusion and lack of clarity is evident. I am hoping that in the vetiver perfume reviews that will be posted over the next while some of these mysteries will unveil themselves to you.
3) Vetiver as a note is classified in may different ways that can also be quite confusing: it is most often described as “woody” even though it is not a “wood” at all. In other instances it is described as “earthy”, and more recently I have encountered reference to vetiver as being “green”.

Can vetiver be actually be so many things at once?
Let’s try to find out!

So let’s start from the beginning:

WHAT IS VETIVER?
Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides) is a tropical grass originated in India. It is relative to other tropical grasses such as lemongrass, palmarosa, nagramotha (aka cyperus – not cypress!) and citronella.

Vetiver is now cultivated in many tropical countries in Asia, Africa, Brazil and other places. The best, or the most popular vetiver oils come from Haiti, India, Indonesia, the Bourbon Islands, Sri Lanka and Java.

Unlike most grasses, vetiver roots grow inwards, rather than expand to the sides. The root is quite large and can reach very deep (up to 2-4 meters!) into the ground. This root structure as well as the manner in which vetiver multiplies make it very easy to control (as opposed to most grasses, which pretty much take over any earth-space they inhabit, ever expanding and multiplyin, and very difficult to control!). This makes vetiver an excellent plant to combat erosion in the tropical climates where it grows. Vetiver is cultivated to protect rice puddles and keep the soil in place despite of the monsoons, without harming the agricultural species.



OTHER USES FOR VETIVER
We mentioned the role of vetiver in preventing erosion. Vetiver has other uses which make it very popular world wide. The plant has a cooling effect in traditional East Indian medicine and folklore, and is considred to be “The Oil of Tranquility” in India, where most of the local vetiver, particularly the “Ruh Khus” (copper distillation of wild vetiver).

Vetiver is also used to cool off in the hot tropical climate. Blinds of vetiver are dampened in the heat, and the cool scent comes in to the house with the breeze. The dried roots are alsoused in pot pourris. Vetiver hydrosol is used in sharbats (cool drinks) and sweets too (I never tried these yet, but I am determined to do so!).

Vetiver is also used for many other useful purposes: the straw is used in the construction of huts in Africa, and the roots are used as a fuel; The rootlets are used to protect domestic animals from vermin, and the essential oil is used to protect cotton and linen from moth, much like patchouli. Sachets of the rootless can be placed in drawers for the same purpose, and are also hang inside Russian fur coats for protection from insects. Beside their cooling effect and the lovely scent they release, the window screens mentioned above, woven from vetiver roots also help to keep bugs and insects ou of the house. Essential oil of vetiver is added to vegetable preserves, particularly asparagus. To find out more click on this informative link.

HOW IS VETIVER PROCESSED FOR PERFUMERY USE?
Vetiver essential oil is steam distilled from the root of the plant, and is the main type of essence used in perfumery. I am not aware of any other essences (i.e.: absolute or concrete) produced for perfumery use. The root is quite large and can reach very deep (up to 2-4 meters!) into the ground. The yield of oil is quite high as well and so vetiver is one of the more economic building blocks.

The distillation process involves uprooting the plants, washing them from the dirt, than drying them for an extended amount of time. Before distillation they are soaked in water again. After distillation the oil is left to mature several months before being marketed and used. It is quite a process - yet because the yield is large (and the plant matter comes in large doses) it makes it quite an affordable oil, comparing to, for instance, orris root - which also requires a similar process of maturing. Orris, in contrary, is prohibitively expensive.

WHAT DOES VETIVER SMELL LIKE?
Depending on the country of origin, different vetiver oil varieties smell completely different. They represent in many ways the soil they are coming from, and this makes the different distillations (from different origins) quite unique. Some are darker and earthier, some are lighter and almost citrusy, some are smoky, some resemble wood, etc. What all vetiver oils have in common is the presence of vetiverol, which gives them their common sweetness and woody, rooty characteristics. Other principle constituents of vetiver oil are vitivone and terpenes such as vetivenes (based on Julie Lawless' The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils.

I have recently became particularly curious about vetiver and have collected a few interesting specimens from around the world. There are still many vetiver distillations which I’ve never smelled. The following will give you some idea of how vastly different vetivers are from one another, and perhaps lure you into the world of soil, wood and greenery that vetiver evokes so whole heartedly.

Indonesian Vetiver
This was the first vetiver I’ve encountered and I am reluctant to say I was quite repulsed by it in the first place. It reminded me of the dark, yeasty Marmite spread (click here if you are not familiar with this curious British condiment). I quickly learned that it was a very valuable note, even from this less-than-perfect distillation, although it still to this day creates a strange sensation in me when I smell it within a composition, as if it is stuck in my throat (perhaps a Marmite reminder – a spread I have never quite got accustomed to despite the recurrent efforts of my parents, who spent the best years of their youth eating it while studying in the UK). This vetiver could be described as earthy and perhaps a tad smoky and woody and quite musky. It goes very well within herbal as well as floral compositions, but one needs to be cautious as to how much is used, as this is quite a tenacioius variety. I recently acquired an Indonesian vetiver that is finer, but from a different manufacturer, and it still had almost the same characteristics, yet a tad mellower. I like using the Indonesian vetiver where its harsh qualities will be most useful: in leather and chypre compositions. There, paired by equally tenacious aromas it will add to the mix rather than overwhelm with its presence.

Haitian Vetiver
This is the vetiver that made me fall in love with vetiver as a building block. Up until than, I thought it was only chemicals that made commercial vetivers smell so fresh and lemony. I presume that this vetiver is the variety most suitable for fresh, clean, almost “green” vetiver colognes. It is ethereal and sublime, light and almost airy - and smells almost citrusy on its own, but not quite. The variety I have is of wild vetiver from Haiti. If I had to pick only one vetiver to use, this would be it. I also tried another variety (not the wild one), which is similar only with a top note reminiscent of Jerusalem Artichokes - very rooty and earth-invoking, yet somewhat heady and sweet; and with a body note that is quite woody and reminiscent of Amyris (aka West Inidian Sandalwood).

Vetiver Bourbon
My personal second favourite (even though it is considered finer than Haitian vetiver, right next to vetiver from Java – both of which are extremely rare to come across), this vetiver is still very smooth, but warmer, rounded and just a touch smoky.

Sri-Lankan Vetiver
This vetiver is so different I almost didn’t believe it was vetiver. Now, talking about woody… This one has almost no trace of earth. It smells like wood – driftwood to be precise – and you’ll almost think it is some kind of a fake sandalwood. I use this variety when I am looking for a woody note, without the need for a recognizable vetiver note. It is particularly marvelous with florals, lending a rich, deep woody fixative but still letting the florals stay at the centre of the stage.

Madagascan Vetiver
I haven't worked much with this variety, but I do have a sample of an organic oil from Madagascar. It is closest to the Haitian vetiver, only woodier and with a certain floralcy to it. It's not as smooth and woody as the Sri Lankan vetiver, but it has the typical underlining clean/earthy/sweet that makes vetivers so charming.

Indian Vetiver
Indian vetiver is the most earthy and rich of all the vetiver I’ve smelled. I would like to mention to particularly interesting specimens I have recently got from White Lotus Aromatics. Christopher McMahon, the proprietor, is a self-confessed vetiver connoisseur, and I think I got infected by his passion – which is quite understandable: there is something utterly intimate about getting in touch with the roots of foreign countries. Vetiver roots being fully enveloped in earth for the longest time, soak many of the qualities of the land they come from. This makes for a very interesting experience of visiting far away countries with a simple uncorking of a vial…

Inidian Vetiver co-distilled with Mitti (Baked Earth)
As if Indian vetiver wasn’t earthy enough to begin with, this artisan distillation marries the essence of vetiver with that of baked Indian earth. What does it smell like? You guessed it: dirt.

Ruh Khus (Wild Indian Vetiver)
While all the other vetiver oils I mentioned earlier are in different shades of amber, Ruh Khus is a dark blue-green. The reason is simple: this oil is distilled in the traditional Indian way, in copper vessels. The copper lends its unique colour of oxidation (turquoise) to the oil, as well as a tinge of metallic aroma. Copper vessels are relatively light and the Indian perfumers have the custom to travel with them to the place of harvest, to gather the plants and distill them on the spot. This flexibility is highly important for the traditional Indian perfumers, because this way they can easily travel from place to place and distill rare essences in remote places – as opposed to importing the raw harvest to a remote atelier, by which time the essences will be either gone or spoiled.

There are two more interesting vetiver varieties that I am interested in trying, and I will add them later to SmellyBlog once I’ve obtained and evaluated them. I am curiosu to explore more distillations of vetiver from around Madagascar - Reunion, Comoro and the Bourbon islands, and also of South African Vetiver.


VETIVER’S ROLE IN PERFUMERY
The versatility of vetiver as well as its wide availability, reasonable price and high yield of essential oil make it an extremely valuable note in the perfumer’s palette. Whether if you are looking for a fixative for a floral bouquet; a woody nuance in an incense, oriental or chypre scent – or if you simply wanting to go all the way with the earthy characteristic of this abundant root – vetiver proves to do its job and do it well.

Vetiver is said to be used in about 36% of perfumes today. I anticipate that now, with the decline of the use of oakmoss, vetiver demand will be increasing (until it is going to be listed for an IFRA embargo like most valuable natural essences; I hope to be proven wrong in that matter).

MY PERSONAL DISCOVERY OF VETIVER
As first I was quite repulsed by it personally. The variety I first came across smelled an awful lot like marmite, as I mentioned above.
What made me more drawn to vetiver was the perfume Mitsouko. I first found it to be very dry (a characteristic that the vetiver highly amplifies). But after I worn it a few times, carefully observing its metamorphosis over time, the peculiar scent of vetiver has captured my heart: being at once dry, woody, earthy, clean and sweet. It sounds like an impossible combination, but that is what vetiver is to me.

My favourite is the Haitian vetiver. It has a very clean, cool scent, and feels light - almsot citrusy. The vetiver in Guerlain's Vetiver smells a lot like it.

I am currently so intrigued by vetiver that I am determined to create my first non-floral soliflore with the theme of vetiver. I am hoping to share the phases and ideas of development here on SmellyBlog, as well as share the scent with you as it evolves and takes shape.

RECOMMENDED PERFUMES WITH RECOGNIZABLE VETIVER NOTE
Agent Provocateur
Black Vetiver Cafe (Jo Malone)
 Megumi (Ayala Moriel)
Mitsouko (Guerlain)
No. 5 (Chanel)
No. 19 (Chanel)
 Sabotage (Ayala Moriel)
Sycomore (Chanel)
Turtle Vetiver (LesNez)
Vetiver (Guerlain)
Vetiver Extraordinaire (Frederic Malle)
Vetiver Racinettes (Ayala Moriel)
Vetiver Tonka (Hermes)
Vetiveru (Commes de Garcons)
Some of these perfumes and a few more will be reviewed over the next few weeks as part of a "Vetiver Marathon".
You can also find reviews for these Vetiver titled perfumes, though in my opinion they are not good representatives of the note (yet interesting perfumes on their own rights):
Vetiver 46 (Le Labo)
Vetiver (Lorenzo Villoresi)
Vétiver Oriental (Serge Lutens)

* If you have a favourite vetiver that you'd like to see reviewed on SmellyBlog and does not appear on the above list, please let me know. I will do my best to review it if I can find it in Vancouver (or if you are willing to send a sample). The above are vetivers that I tried and liked and have access to.

SUMMARY
To make a long story short – I will try to answer the question posed in the title of this essay: Is vetiver earthy, woody or green?
The answer is, of course, “all of the above”.
Some varieties are earthy (particularly the Indian and Indonesian distillation), which makes particular sense, considering the fact that vetiver is a root covered a few meters deep in soil.
Some are woody (the Sri Lankan vetiver exemplifies that) which should’t be such a shock if recalling that patchouli oil, distilled form leaves of a plant from the mint family, is also considered woody (as well as earthy).
And some vetivers are considered green (such as the Haitian Vetiver variety), as if they were some leaves or grass – which actually is exactly what vetiver is! For whatever reason, some varieties amplify the grassy or green characteristics more than others.

The quality of vetiver all depends on the soil in which it originated from, as it soaks up many characteristics of the earth.
Vetiver is a very important perfume material, and is used in more than third of the perfumes today, and in all fragrance families.

References ("Real Book" Bibliography, besides the links sited above):
Perfume and Flavour Materials of Natural Origin by Stephen Arctander
The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless
Aromatherapy and the Mind by Julia Lawless

Decoding Obscure Notes Part VI: Leather Notes

When trying to understand leather perfumes, one cannot ignore the connection of the perfume industry to some of the foulest-smelling man-made creations (or by-products): death and feces.
I am not being sarcastic, though obviously I have just used one of the most alarming yet well-tested demagogue techniques: shock the audience to get attention.

Now that I have captured your attention, I am going to skin it, and use it to create a brief map of the history of leather scents and draw the connection between perfume and scents that are much less fine.

Let us start from the beginning: Death.
Leather is animals’ skin, pulled off their dead bodies after they have been hunted or slaughtered (usually for food), and than processed in various ways. Leather has been an important material for mankind for thousands of years. It helped our forefathers to survive the cold winters (clothes and shelters) and create and build many different tools that were crucial for their survival. I won’t bore you with the details, as I am sure we all learned something about the pre-historic men in elementary school or sometimes afterwards. Now that we have invented the wheel, and along the way also the ability to create many useful man-made materials for protecting our bodies from the climate etc., leather has become more of a luxury good than a necessity. But whatever the purpose of the leather used –from horse-saddles, to warm boots, to leather outfits for our fetishes and fantasies – at certain point early in its process the skin had to be cleaned and treated in a way to ensure that it does not smell like a rotting dead animal as well as softened to enable it to be useful and workable. The scent of death is not enjoyable and it is not even an acquired taste. I think this is one of the few scents that triggered a consensus amongst humans. And so, the leather hides from the animals have to go through an elaborate process of curing and tanning in order chase away any bacteria. For more details on the traditional curing process visit this website, and to read about the modern process, visit here:
http://www.cudahytanning.com/process.htm
http://www.ilo.org/encyclopedia/?print&nd=857200643
http://www.tft.csiro.au/leather/manufacture.html

Barks from trees were used to preserve the leather, colour it, enhance its texture and also, as a side effect, give it a more agreeable scent. Most of the barks and materials used contain a high concentration of tannin.

Here are a few of the oils that are known for their use in the tanning process and that are also used in perfumery:

Birch TarSmells intensely of wintergreen and is used frequently in tanning Russian leather.

Cassie flower and bark
Cassie is a type of mimosa, only far more intense, woody, and deeply scented, as it is a base note. The bark and the flower absolute are used in the curing process due to their high tannin content.

Cade Oil
This dark oil has an intense smoky odour of forest fires. This is the destructive distillation of a species of juniper (the plant material is actually burnt during the distillation and therefore the intense smoky aroma). Also used in Russian leather, and provides durability for leather. Books bound with Russian leather will not get mouldy, according to this site.

Myrtle
The oil of myrtle is used mosly in Turkish leather tanning. This is not used in lperfumery very often for creating leather accords, as this is a very green, clean, fresh, camphor-like scent and it’s not associated with leather as much as the other notes.

To read more about plants used for tanning Visit this website .
We are now going to move to the mundane and familiar odour of feces, especially those which filled the metropolis of ancient times, before the sophisticated sanitary systems that we enjoy today in our air-polluted cities. The open sewers were an inevitable part of the daily lives of all the people who lived in the cities, rich or poor. But the rich and the noble ones could afford to suffer just a bit less of it, as they were able to afford coaches and horses which provided some distance from the stench; and also the nobelty had certain privileges such as walking in the middle of the street and away from the sides where potties could be emptied on their heads…The stench of the streets lead to the creative collaboration between glove makers and perfumers:

The first thing that one wants to do is to cover their noses from the stench… And the hand was usually covered with a glove… Which was, indeed, covered with scent strong enough to mask the terrible odour of the old urban jungles.

With the improvement of the sanitary systems in the cities the gloves fashion gradually faded out. But it left behind it an elaborate legacy of European perfumery. Later on, the leather as a scent made a come back with Chanel’s Cuir de Russie – this time romanticizing the exoticism of furs of wild animals caught in the woods of cold, far away Russia (or, perhaps, Canada). It employed an impressive amount of castoreum, a by-product of the fur industry. Castoreum is a secretion from a gland of both the male and the female beavers that live in Russia and Canada. It can only be found after killing the animal, thus making capturing beavers a double-shot of wealth for the hunter. On its own, castoreum smells like death. It really does. As repulsive as death could possibly be, combined with the guilt of smelling the remains a wild animal hunted for its fur and sexual smell. When highly diluted, castoreum smells just like leather. Like old leather bound books. Dry, leathery, exquisite.

So now that we have pretty much exhausted the topics of dead animals and poop, perhaps we can move on to the two main questions that you have in mind are (in hopes that your appetite for that fragrance family isn’t ruined yet):

WHAT DO LEATHER PERFUMES SMELL LIKE?
The answer is simple: they smell like leather!
Step in to the nearest shoe store, and get your nose close to a pair of leather boots.
Go to your nearest horse-barn and get acquainted with the saddles and tacks.
Bury your nose in an old leather book…
That’s what leather perfumes smell like, at least in part.

To this may be added spices, resins and balsams for sweetness and warmth; flowers for a sophisticated perfume-y impression; Tobacco that accentuates the tannin scent of cured leather; aldehydes for softness and warm roundness or an oily skin like residue; citrus for clean freshness and to add balance to the heaviness and darkness of leather; and more often than ever – there will be smoky notes.

HOW ARE LEATHER SCENTS BEING MADE?
By now you probably guessed that there is no leather essential oil, and perfumers don't soak and tincture leather to make leather perfumes... The only animal material that has any importance in leather perfumes is castoreum.
Although castoerum is a key ingredient in many leather perfumes, it is not essential to kill animals to enjoy a leather aroma. When well crafted, other “vegan” notes, such as tobacco, black tea, labdanum, cade, patchouli and birch tar can create the impression of leather without drawing as much as a drop of blood from an innocent animal. I am proud to say that such an example lies in my line in the form of Espionage – the formidable leathery concoction that dries down into a musky-vanilla skin scent.

Leathery perfumes can be taken to all kinds of directions – aromatic, woody, floral, even gourmand (if, like Charlie Chaplin, you find leather appetizing). Technically, leather is considered a member of the Chypre family, which is where it originally branched out from. Many leathery perfumes have oakmoss in at least minute quantities, and are considered a sub-category of the chypre family. However, there are some leathers that have very little in common with Chypre, and are more of an oriental. I personally think that even though it may be convenient to add more and more sub-categories to the Chypre family, that perhaps the Leathery scents truly deserve a category of their own. Scents such as Tabac Blond, Cuir de Russie, Bandit, Feuilles de Tabac, truly deserve their own family.
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