Yuzu in Perfumery: The Multi-Faceted Japanese Citrus

It is also found in ryokans, traditional Japanese inns, in baths carved into stone, in onsen (natural hot springs), or in square bathtubs with the particularity of always having 5 or 6 yuzu fruits cut in half floating on the water.

Its delicious multi-faceted perfume seduced me so much that upon returning to France, I was tempted to work with it in various fragrances. I preferred to wait for the creation of my perfume house to use it as top notes in Smeraldo from the Musk Collection.

Origin and Botany

Botanical Family: Rutaceae
It is a hybrid of wild mandarin and Citrus ichangensis, Ichang lemon.

Yuzu is a fruit that grows on a tree bearing the same name. It originates from Asia, specifically China and Tibet. It arrived in Japan and Korea under the Tang Dynasty (616 to 907) and is now anchored in Japanese and Korean culinary culture. It is easily found in the mountainous region of Japan, mainly in Kôchi. This city cultivates half of the yuzu culture in Japan.

The yuzu tree is resistant to cold; it is of medium size but can reach up to 4m in height. It has the particularity of having many thorns and being slow to bear fruit. Its fruits and leaves are very fragrant and diffuse their scents for miles around.

Starry flowers appear between April and May; the harvest takes place from October to December. This is why even in Japan, this citrus fruit is very expensive for everyday consumption; it is a very high-end citrus, sold individually.

Its fruit, the yuzu, turns from light green to yellow, depending on maturity. Its size is small, its skin is quite rustic. Its flesh is not very dense and contains many seeds. It is not really a fruit that one eats like an orange. Its zest and juice are essentially used.

Yuzu in Perfumery

It is a small yellow lemon whose unit price is high, around 6 euros in Japan. It can be found in France in luxury grocery stores or Japanese shops.

There is little production and only a few confidential brands can use it naturally in their fragrances. Japanese production could not support a major international launch, which is why some brands can only use a reproduction.

Its essence or essential oil comes from cold extraction (cf. Expression) as for all citrus fruits.

Olfactory Description

Its perfume is multi-faceted; it gives the impression of a mixture of citrus fruits (cf. Citrus Facet) dominated by mandarin but with accents of lemon, grapefruit, green notes, and finally floral facets. It is used as top notes because it is a striking citrus in a composition, like lime.

Its scent blends with all olfactory facets, as top notes in eaux de Cologne, Eaux fraîches, eaux de parfum, or oriental, floral, chypre, and musky eaux de toilette.

Health Benefits and Cosmetics

It is a fruit rich in vitamin C; it contributes to immune defenses, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and heals wounds. Yuzu helps beautify and strengthen hair and skin thanks to its flavonoids and vitamin C. In Japan, they use yuzu a lot in cosmetics.

During the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, tradition dictates that people take a yuzu bath, in order not to catch a cold for a year.

It strengthens the immune system and is an ally against cardiovascular diseases. It is said to be effective against platelet aggregation. It facilitates transit and promotes the absorption of iron and calcium. It also has beneficial effects against fatigue, chills, and finally improves blood circulation.

Perfumes Containing Yuzu

Here is a list of eaux de parfum that contain yuzu:

• Eau de Yuzu by Patricia de Nicolaï
• Note de Yuzu by Heeley
• Yuzu Fou by Parfum d’Empire
• Yuzu Man by Caron
• Yuzu Signature by Acqua di Parma
• Yuzu Solinotes by Bottle Designer
• L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake
• Yuzu Ab Irato by Pierre Guillaume