I love wood! From the dry earthy scent of cedar, to the warm creamy scent of sandalwood. From the unique mysterious scent of Oud (agarwood) to the spicy milky scent of Palo Santo.

Wood has found its way into perfumes for centuries. In the last century, typical full woody perfumes were mostly reserved for classic men's fragrances and were perceived as masculine. Fortunately, we have abandoned this tad conservative approach and everyone can enjoy the high-quality and grounding notes of wood in fragrances.

Wood can play a powerful lead role in a perfume; we even have a separate fragrance family: the woody perfumes. Not coincidentally, this fragrance family is one of my favourites!

So powerful and so sophisticated at the same time, rich and deep, elegant and chic, bold and quirky. It can emphasize a wonderful sense of confidence and strength. Wood can also play a more modest role in perfumes.

Wood tones are predominantly used in the base (fond) of a perfume creation. Thus, wood tones give structure and depth to many perfumes from a variety of fragrance families. For example, when combined with citrus, it can give a classic sophisticated, slightly ‘barbershop’ feel. Spicy and balsamic notes create a wealth of sensual facets. Combined with flowers or fruit, wood can offer layering and beautiful contrasts.

Cedarwood is possibly the best-known wood used in perfumes. It can remind you of the dry woodiness of pencil shavings and almost fresh-new feel of wood shavings at a furniture maker's shop. Cedar gives perfumes a soft dry woody undertone.

There are many tree species known as ‘cedar’. Natural cedar for perfumes is mainly extracted from the tree species Juniperus Virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) and Cedrus Atlantica (Atlas Cedar) by distilling wood chips.

In addition, a perfumer has synthetic alternatives at his or her disposal that possess a cedar-like scent. Examples are Vertofix Coeur, Cedrol (also as a natural variant) and cedryl acetate.

The more exotic sandalwood smells warm, creamy, creamy, even a little milky. The majestic sandalwood trees grow mainly in India and Australia. Only when the sandalwood trees are 30 years or older can the valuable heart of the trunks be harvested.

Santalum Album (white sandalwood or Mysore sandalwood) and New Caledonian sandalwood are the most commonly used natural species. Fortunately, the felling of sandalwood trees is now better regulated so that, step by step, the tree is no longer an endangered species.

The spiritual and ritual uses of sandalwood go back centuries. If you want to hear more about it, you can also watch the video Karima and Tanja made about it.

Oud, also written as Oudh, is a fascinating and very precious wood species. Until recently, this wood species was mostly loved and known in Arab and Eastern countries and cultures. In the last 10 years, this wood species has also captured the hearts of many others.

The tree Agar Aquilaria, in response to a fungal infection, produces a dark strongly scented resin in the heart of the tree to protect itself. Exactly this part is the much-loved and very precious Oudh (eaglewood, agarwood).

It smells deep, complex, animalic (skanky) and dusty. In perfumes, because of its price and distinctive character, alternatives such as synthetic accords or the natural Nagarmotha (Cypriol) are often used.

This beautiful wood is traditionally used especially in South America to ‘clear the air of negative energy’.

Palo Santo, also reffered to as ‘sacred wood’, is used in perfumes as an accord, made up of other woods such as cedar with a hint of mint and a milky vibe.

Fortunately, within the perfume industry, there has long been a focus on circularity, using scarce natural resources sparingly and burdening our earth as little as possible. We already mentioned the example of biotech santalol above.

Another good example is the principle of ‘upcycling’. Upcycling is a form of recycling, but it goes one step further. This is because residual materials are not only reused, but are transformed into new, valuable products of higher quality and value.

Both upcycled orange blossom and upcycled oakwood are used in Tipsy Tuberose by Annindriya.

Our collection includes many more perfumes in which other woods also have a nice contribution.

Think Papyrus (e.g. Medullary-Ray, Jorum Studio), guaiac wood (e.g.Oud silk mood, Maison Francis Kurkdjian) or vetiver in perfumes (technically a root of a grass species).

Our website has extensive menu options, where you can search by 1 or more woods, and find your way into the wonderfully powerful world of woody perfumes!