The Woody Family in Perfumery: Complete Guide to Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver, and Oud

The Case of the Woody Facet in a Perfume

It is common for the woody facet to also be the main theme of the perfume. In this case, the woody message will be clearly felt from the opening of the perfume to its conclusion.

In the woody family, one wood may be predominant, but it is most often a blend of several woody notes. The woody message can also be sublimated by subtle citrus, floral, fruity, spicy, or vanilla facets, without these taking precedence over the woody notes.

Woody notes are reassuring, structured, and nervous notes, which act, for the most part, as “stakes” in the composition, thus giving the perfume a backbone.

In the case of chypre fragrances, the perfume will always be dressed with a woody facet, notably with patchouli. A chypre perfume will therefore be, by definition, woody.

The Woody Family: A Masculine Family?

The woody family is mostly attributed to men, making it primarily a masculine family. But it should be known that women tend to appropriate woody perfumes more and more.

1. Sandalwood

It is the only soft, milky, and creamy wood. Sandalwood, formerly from India and now protected by the Indian government, today comes from Southeast Asia.

There are different varieties of sandalwood. Santalum spicatum, which grows in Australia, resembles a cedar more, or Santalum austrocaledonicum, found rather in New Caledonia.

Natural sandalwood is a note that is “very muted,” very low in power, but of great tenacity. Particularly difficult to work with, it is a challenge for the perfumer-creator, because alone, it does not perform well in a composition. It is often accompanied by sandalwood molecules to sublimate the natural note.

About thirty years are necessary for the sandalwood tree to reach its final size, a circumference of 50 cm. To be used in perfumery, this wood must be cut into chips and then treated by distillation.

Sandalwood Molecules

There are many synthetic sandalwood molecules, but they cannot replace natural sandalwood. They serve to “boost” natural sandalwood, but these must be handled with caution, as they render quite “vulgar” notes. We can cite:

1. Polysantol
2. Sandalore
3. Sandella

Sandalwood Perfumes

Here are some references of sandalwood perfumes, in the woody olfactory family:

• Samsara by Guerlain (1989): Uses sandalwood for the first time in a feminine perfume. An overdose of wood, up to 20% of the formula in sandalwood, is accompanied mainly by ylang-ylang, jasmine, and a few sandalwood molecules.
• Bois des Îles by Chanel (1926): Ernest Beaux’s very lovely Bois des Îles offers sandalwood and vetiver wrapped in warm notes such as tonka bean, cinnamon, and vanilla.
• Santal Massoïa by Hermès (2011): Created by Jean-Claude Ellena, it is a woody scent in which round and mellow notes are highlighted. Sandalwood appears first as “this horizontal and carnal wood,” according to the perfumer, which he associates with the idea of Massoïa wood.
• Tam Dao by Diptyque (2003): Named after a national park in Vietnam, is a very powerful perfume built around sandalwood. It is very appreciated by women.
• Wonderwood by Comme des Garçons (2010): Unisex perfume, association of sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, guaiac wood, cedar, agarwood (oud), and cypress.
• Santal Royal by Guerlain (2015): Marries sandalwood with oud wood.

Sandalwood by Serge Lutens:

• Santal de Mysore (1991), a milky and spicy sandalwood.
• Santal Blanc (2001/2019) a white sandalwood accompanied by iris, cinnamon, pink pepper, and musk.
• Santal Majuscule (2012), a sandalwood blended with rose with a suave woody sillage with light chocolate notes.

Sandalwood is present in Valkyrie by Delacourte Paris.

2. Cedar

The cedar note recalls pencil shavings, sawmills, wood chips. It blends wonderfully with vetiver and citrus, especially grapefruit. Chemistry has also allowed the isolation of many cedar molecules. These molecules, like cedrol, vertofix, or cedramber, can also be interesting.

There are different cedars depending on the origin: Virginia cedar, Texas cedar, and Atlas cedar. Atlas cedar can reach 40m, it is used in carpentry and wood chips (by-products of carpentry) are used to obtain the essential oil by distillation. Its perfume has an animalic, smoky note.

Regarding Virginia cedar, this is the one that most recalls pencil shavings; it can reach 25m. Olfactorily, Virginia and Texas cedars are quite close as they have the same origin. The essential oil of Atlas cedar is more powerful than that from Virginia and Texas cedars.

Perfumes Using Cedar

• L’Eau des Merveilles by Hermès (2004): Evernyl, a synthetic moss, is associated with cedar, notably in this chypre perfume.
• Féminité du Bois by Shiseido (1992): Cedar is associated with fruit notes. This perfume celebrates Atlas cedar evoking Serge Lutens’ beloved Morocco. Its composition, spiced with cinnamon and clove and iridized by violet notes, makes it a “purist” woody perfume.
• Bois Farine by L’Artisan Parfumeur (2003): Jean-Claude Ellena proposes a cedar, vetiver, and hazelnut accord.

Cedar is also present in the fragrance Osiris from the Orange Blossom Collection by Sylvaine Delacourte.

3. Patchouli

Patchouli grows in a tropical climate, originating from Malaysia; it is cultivated today mainly in the Indonesian islands (Sumatra, Java), India, Madagascar, then Guatemala and Rwanda in smaller proportions.

In Indonesia, three times a year, farmers cut the branches of the plant, whose leaves will then be distilled. As soon as they are cut, the leaves, green or mahogany in color, wither very quickly. Once the leaves are dried, we witness a real ritual, during which women cut as many stems as possible, to keep the maximum number of leaves loaded with essential oil.

The patchouli leaf is odorless, and it must be allowed to ferment to obtain its scent (400 kg of leaves yield 100 kg of dry matter, and 2 kg of essential oil). Patchouli comes from the East and was discovered in the West by the English who had imported Cashmere shawls wrapped in patchouli leaves (these were then used to protect against insects). This is how the scent was discovered in Europe.

In India, wives of the upper Brahmin caste made fine tracings with patchouli on their arms to signify they were ready to marry. Patchouli is reputed in this country as being the plant of fertility and desire. Patchouli is, indeed, a promise of sensuality all by itself! The dried leaves of the shrub produce a dark, earthy, camphorated, almost medicinal woody note.

For a few years now, a product called “patchouli heart” has existed, which allows the essence to be rid of its slightly dusty notes. The product then becomes pure, slender, majestic, and even more beautiful.

Perfumes with Patchouli

Patchouli is one of the main components of the oriental accord (see Oriental Family), found in Shalimar, Habit Rouge, and Opium. It is also one of the main components of the chypre accord, in which it replaces oakmoss (Aromatics Elixir).

Patchouli is also found in chypre oriental perfumes such as Coco, Coco Mademoiselle, Coco Noir by Chanel, Miss Dior by Dior, For Her by Narciso Rodriguez, as well as La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain.

Other references: Patchouli Eau de Toilette by Réminiscence, Patchouli Absolu by Tom Ford, Patchouli Impérial by Dior, Coromandel by Chanel, Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle, Tempo by Diptyque.

4. Vetiver

Known and used since Antiquity, vetiver takes its name from the Tamil word “vettiveru.” It is one of the most beautiful woody notes in the perfumers’ palette: it conveys a timeless elegance.

Moreover, its harvest is called “the excavations,” because farmers must turn the earth to extract the roots. They separate the aerial stems from the roots over 50 cm long, which will then be washed and distilled. 100 kg of roots are needed to obtain 1 kg of essential oil.

Today, many confections are made from vetiver, such as fans, woven baskets, or vetiver screens that locals water to bring out the natural freshness of the plant, which then functions as a sort of natural air conditioning. Vetiver is also used in Mali, and drunk in decoction by women (with the aim of purifying the body and increasing pleasure).

Vetiver, whose root is used, has a nervous woody scent. Its earthy and humid note recalls fresh hazelnut with more or less smoky accents. It also has a grapefruit, almost rhubarb facet.

Varieties: Vetiver from India or Haiti, or vetiver from Reunion Island (commonly called “Bourbon vetiver“), are the most appreciated in perfumery, but the one from Reunion is very rare. Java vetiver is drier and much rougher, making it less interesting. It is also 15% cheaper than the one from Haiti.

The scent of vetiver is very interesting because it gives a real vibration to the perfume, from top notes to base notes. Guerlain is among the first to have paid tribute to vetiver with Vétiver (1959), which marries this fresh woody note with citrus, tonka bean, nutmeg, and a tobacco accord.

Synthetic Woody Notes Derived from Vetiver

Fortunately, perfumery can also use very beautiful woody notes from synthesis.

Chemistry has isolated vetiveryl acetate, a vetiver molecule, and paradoxically, it is more expensive than the natural product! It is a nervous, rising note, extremely fresh and pure.

Vetiverol is also used; it is the heart of vetiver stripped of its dusty note.

Perfumes with Vetiver

• Guerlain Homme by Guerlain (2008): Co-created by Sylvaine Delacourte, contains vetiver. The version L’Eau Boisée includes an overdose of vetiver.
• Vétiver pour Elle by Guerlain (2004): A floral woody, with tonka bean and vetiver.
• Vétiver Oriental by Serge Lutens (2002): Built on the bitter chocolate note of Java vetiver.
• Vétiver Extraordinaire by Frédéric Malle (2000): Dominique Ropion uses more than 25% vetiver combined with other woody notes!
• Vétiver Tonka, Hermès (2004): Vetiver likes to surround itself with cedar, orange, grapefruit, pepper, and balsamic notes.
• Bal d’Afrique by Byredo: A Gourmand vetiver.
• Terre d’Hermès (2006): Features vetiver with citrus and spices with slightly smoky and leathery effects.

Vetiver root is also very present in Florentina.

5. Other Woody Notes: Pine, Cypress, Fig, Oud, Guaiac

Pine or Cypress Notes

Sylvestral pine or cypress notes are rarely found in perfumery. Yet, they are very interesting notes such as:

• Pine essence with fresh, rising, bitter, and balsamic notes.
• Fir balsam is a natural note of pine needles, very mouth-watering and slightly sweet.
• Borneol and isobornyl acetate with the smell of pines heated in the sun.

Perfumes with pine or cypress: Pino Silvestre (1955), Acqua di Selva (1949), and Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens (2009).

The Fig Tree Accord

The fig or fig tree note is created from an accord composed of green notes, stemone, coconut, cedar, and sandalwood. In 1994, the fig tree note appeared with Premier Figuier (L’Artisan Parfumeur) and Philosykos (Diptyque).

Oud Wood

Many woody perfumes are now based on oud wood or agarwood. It is a dark and very fragrant resin that develops in a variety of trees called aquilaria when infected by a fungus. The raw material is very precious and expensive, often reconstituted (cf. How to store perfume?).

Guaiac Wood

Guaiac wood is a wood with smoky notes, a bit leathery. If overdosed, it can give a note with a bit of a “smoked ham” effect. It is present in Osiris.

Birch Wood

Contrary to what its name might suggest, birch wood is not a woody note, but a dark leathery note. However, it is now prohibited by legislation, and good reconstructions replace this natural note successfully.

6. Synthetic Woody Notes

Here are the different synthetic woods used in the woody family:

• Evernyl: Moss note, present in chypres.
• Cashmeran: Soft woody note, almost oriental.
• Suderal: Synthetic molecule in the soft and light leather register, substitute for birch.
• Iso E Super: Velvety woody note, almost musky, present in overdose in Trésor by Lancôme.
• Amber Woods: (Karanal, Ambrocenide, Norlimbanol, Z11). Hyper-powerful molecules that give sillage, like in Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana.

Conclusion

Finally, niche perfumery, more daring and remarkable for its great creative freedom, does not distinguish between feminine and masculine perfume, and it is also in the register of woody notes that the choice is richest.