Common Perfume Ingredients
How well do you know your perfume ingredients? It's okay if the answer is "not well at all." If you've ever found yourself asking, "What the heck is oud?" we hope you'll enjoy this glossary of frequently used fragrance and aromatherapy ingredients.
Agrumen
An aldehyde with a characteristic green, musky odor.
Aldehyde
Organic compounds present in many natural materials that can be synthesized artificially, such as the aliphatic aldehydes used to give sparkle to Chanel No 5.
Amber
A heavy, full bodied, powdery, warm fragrance note. Amber oil comes from the Baltic amber tree.
Ambergris
A sperm whale secretion with a sweet, woody odor. Usually reproduced synthetically, as sale of ambergris is illegal in many countries.
Ambrette
The oil obtained from ambrette seeds—which come from hibiscus—has a musk-like odor. Commonly, ambrette is used as a substitute for true musk.
Amyris
A white-flowering bush or tree found in Haiti and South America. Often used as a less-expensive substitute for sandalwood.
Benzoin
A balsamic resin from the Styrax tree.
Bergamot
The tangy oil that is expressed from the (non-edible) bergamot orange, which is grown primarily in Italy.
Calone
An aromatic chemical that adds a “sea breeze” or marine-type note to fragrances.
Cashmeran
A synthetic aldehyde with a spicy, ambery, musky, floral odor. Used to invoke the velvety smell or "feel" of cashmere.
Castoreum
An animalistic secretion from the Castor beaver used to impart a leathery aroma to a fragrance. Often reproduced synthetically.
Citron
The zest of this tree's fruit is used to create citrus fragrance notes.
Civet
Musk produced by a gland at the base of the African civet cat's tail. Pure civet is said to have a strong, unpleasant odor, but in small quantities it is often used to add depth and warmth to a fragrance.
Clary sage
The oil of this herb smells sweet-to-bittersweet, with nuances of amber, hay, and tobacco.
Coumarin
A commonly used perfume compound that smells like vanilla.Usually derived from the tonka bean (see below), but also found in lavender, sweetgrass, and other plants.
Frangipani
A fragrant tropical flower, also known as "West Indian Jasmine."
Frankincense
A gum resin from a tree found in Arabia and Eastern Africa. Also called Olibanum.
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