Sourcing perfume ingredients is an incredibly important part of perfume making. Ingredients used in the best perfumes focus on quality, longevity, safety and sustainability. Singular ingredients or a collection of ingredients can serve as perfume notes. This article lists popular perfume ingredients and explains what each one smells like.
Popular Perfume Ingredients
Aldehyde
Aldehydes are a class of organic aroma compounds that play a pivotal role in perfumery. Depending on their structure they can smell fresh, citrusy and green or resinous and clean.
Ambergris
Ambergris is a waxy secretion from sperm whales. Over time, it develops a sweet, earthy and musky scent. Due to its rarity and ethical concerns, most modern perfumes use synthesised versions.
Ambrette
Ambrette essential oil comes from the seeds of the musk mallow plant. Its woody aroma is reminiscent of true musk so it served as a musk substitute before synthetic musks were created.
Ambroxan
Ambroxan is a synthetic molecule which replicates the strong, musky aroma of ambergris. Since it was first synthesised in the 1950s, it has been used to add richness and depth to perfumes.
Basil
Basil is an aromatic herb which exudes a green, slightly spicy scent. Its refreshing aroma imparts an invigorating freshness to perfumes.
Benzoin
Benzoin is a resin sourced from the Styrax tree which is often likened to vanilla. Its sweet, warm aroma adds a powdery, milky quality to perfumes.
Bergamot
Bergamot is a citrus fruit native to Italy, valued for its fresh, tangy, and mildly spicy aroma. Often featured in top notes, it brings an invigorating burst of freshness to perfumes.
Birch Tar
Birch Tar is obtained through dry distillation of birch bark and has a smoky, woody aroma. Its intense scent, reminiscent of campfires, is a popular choice for leather perfumes.
Black Pepper
Black Pepper comes from the dried fruit of the Piper nigrum plant. It has a spicy, warm, and mildly woody scent which adds a lively kick to perfumes.
Cardamom
Cardamom is a spice harvested from seeds of various plants within the ginger family. It exudes a spicy, sweet aroma with subtle citrus undertones.
Castoreum
Castoreum, once sourced from beaver secretions, has a deep, leathery, and animalistic scent. Nowadays this ingredient is most commonly synthetic.
Cedarwood
Cedarwood oil comes from cedar trees, offering a warm, woody, dry, and soft aroma. Its grounding aspect is a staple in the base of many perfumes.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree which is native to Sri Lanka. It has a spicy, warm and sweet aroma which adds heat and earthiness to perfumes.
Citron
Citron is a citrus fruit with a thick rind. Its essential oil exudes a zesty, tangy aroma which works well as a bright top note in perfumes.
Civet
Civet was originally harvested from African civet cat glands. It has a deep, musky, and animalistic scent. Now a synthetic ingredient, its rich aroma imparts depth and warmth to perfumes.
Clary Sage
Clary Sage is a herb. Its essential oil provides a herbaceous, slightly floral aroma. This calming scent adds a grounding layer to perfumes.
Coumarin
Coumarin is a naturally occurring and synthetically produced aroma compound. It is present in organic ingredients such as tonka beans and vanilla. It has a sweet, creamy scent which imparts a gourmand quality to perfumes.
Cypress
Cypress oil is derived from steam distillation of the Cypress tree’s leaves and wood. It has a fresh, woody, and mildly resinous aroma.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. It has a fresh, medicinal scent which adds vibrancy and cleanliness to perfumes.
Fennel
Fennel oil is obtained through steam distilling seeds from fennel plants. It has a sweet, herbaceous, anise-like aroma which adds a gentle spicy layer to perfumes.
Frankincense
Frankincense, also known as Olibanum, is a resin from the Boswellia tree. With a warm, spicy, woody aroma it lends resinous intensity to perfume compositions.
Galbanum
Galbanum is a resin primarily derived from the Ferula gummosa herb plant. It has a green, fresh and almost resinous plant-like aroma.
Ginger
Ginger essential oil comes from the thick, branched rhizome (underground stem) of the Ginger plant. Its aroma is warm and spicy with a subtle woody undertone.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a fruit which is a hybrid of a sweet orange and a pomelo. Its essential oil is extracted from the peel of the fruit and adds a bright, tangy aspect to perfumes.
Guaiac Wood
Guaiac Wood comes from the resin of the palo santo tree obtained via steam distillation. Its aroma carries a sweet, smoky, and tar-like essence. This rich scent adds depth and warmth to perfumes.
Hedione
Hedione is a synthetic aroma compound with a scent that is light, airy and reminiscent of jasmine. It is often used to add a fresh, floral aspect to perfumes.
Iso E Super
Iso E Super is a synthetic aroma molecule which possesses a woody, ambery and velvety aroma. Often compared to sandalwood and cedarwood, it's known for increasing perfume longevity.
Jasmine
Jasmine essential oil is an ingredient which is harvested from the flowers of the jasmine plant. This ingredient has a rich, sweet, and heady floral aroma.
Juniper Berry
Juniper Berry essential oil comes from the berries of the juniper plant. The aroma of this extracted ingredient is fresh, piney, and coniferous.
Labdanum
Labdanum is a resin extracted from the rockrose shrub, often by boiling the leaves and twigs. It has a woody, ambery, aroma with leathery undertones.
Lavender
Lavender essential oil is obtained through steam distillation of the lavender flowering plant. It has a herbal, sweet and subtle floral aroma which is said to aid relaxation.
Leather
Leather is a perfume accord, made using various natural and synthetic ingredients. None of these ingredients are animal leather. The aroma of this accord is rich, smoky, and sweet, intended to evoke the scent of tanned animal hides.
Lemon
Lemon essential oil is a citrus ingredient, often extracted by cold pressing lemon zest. It is characterised by a bright, zesty and tart aroma, finding itself most frequently used as a top note.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a tall grass native to tropical regions, its essence is obtained through steam distillation. It has a fresh, citrusy, and earthy aroma which is considered to be invigorating.
Lime
Lime essential oil is sourced by cold pressing the lime citrus fruit’s zest. This oil ingredient has an aroma which is tart, zesty and slightly sweet. It is most often used as a top note to add liveliness to a perfume composition.
Musk
Musk traditionally refers to the glandular secretions from certain animals, most commonly, the musk deer. This ingredient is now produced synthetically due to ethical and conservation concerns. It has a skin-like aroma that can range from animalistic and sensual to clean and powdery.
Myrrh
Myrrh is a resin from the Commiphora tree. Its fragrant molecules are usually obtained through steam distillation. It has a warm, spicy, resinous and subtle medicinal aroma.
Narcissus
Narcissus is a flower which has its scent extracted by steaming the blossoms or transferring the flower's aroma to a fatty substance. It adds a green, floral and rich aspect to perfumes.
Neroli
Neroli oil comes from the white blossoms of either a bitter or sweet orange tree. This perfume ingredient has a sweet, floral, and slightly citrusy aroma.
Oakmoss
Oakmoss is a lichen that grows primarily on oak trees, collected manually from bark. Its scent is earthy, damp and slightly woody, reminiscent of the foliage in a dense forest. It is often used as an earthy base note.
Orris
Orris comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the Iris flower. It is harvested and then dried for several years before being processed. It has a delicate, powdery floral aroma with woody undertones.
Oud
Oud (also known as oudh or agarwood) is a resinous heartwood created by a natural fungal infection of the Aquilaria tree. Its extracted oil has a deep, woody, and smoky aroma. This rich and opulent ingredient is often used in luxury perfumes.
Patchouli
Patchouli is a leafy herb from the mint family. Its essence is captured through steam distillation. The extracted scent has an earthy, woody, and musky quality.
Pine
Pine is a type of evergreen tree which is native to the northern hemisphere. Its essential oil is found in the resin inside the pine tree's trunk. This ingredient has a fresh, woody and resinous aroma.
Pink Pepper
Pink Pepper essence is obtained from the pink berries of the Schinus molle tree. It is not related to black or white pepper. It has a spicy, fresh, sweet and floral aroma.
Sage
Sage is a fragrant herb. Its essence is obtained through steam distillation. It has a green, herbaceous, earthy aroma with subtle pepperiness.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood essential oil comes from the heartwood and roots of the Santalum album tree. It has a creamy, soft and woody aroma that is used as a base note in many perfumes.
Tobacco
Tobacco refers to a large group of plants in the nightshade family. The essential oil of the plant's leaves can be obtained by hydrodistillation, steam distillation or solvent extract. It has a sweet, woody, and smoky aroma. This ingredient is often produced synthetically.
Tonka Bean
Tonka Bean is a seed from the Dipteryx odorata tree. Its essence obtained through a curing and extraction process. Reminiscent of vanilla, it has a sweet, creamy, and almond-like aroma. Tonka bean therefore adds a gourmand aspect to perfumes.
Vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from the pods of the vanilla orchid. It provides a sweet, creamy, and slightly woody aroma which is often used as a gourmand base note.
