PATCHOULI BASE

Warm and deep golden patchouli scent with earthy notes. Incredibly beautiful. Adds staying power to the composition. Ideal for oriental, chypre, and woody compositions. Responsible for abundance and richness.

The recommended concentration according to IFRA is up to 100% in the finished product (Kat. 4).

Patchouli, derived from the Tamil word "patch ilai," meaning "green leaf," is considered the strongest and most fixative of all herbal aromas. Its botanical source is Pogostemon cablin (syn. Pogostemon patschouli), a shrub growing 40 to 90 cm tall, belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Presumably native to the Philippines, it is now cultivated not only in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, but also in India, China, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Indochina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Patchouli leaves became popular in Europe in the early 19th century, when cashmere shawls became fashionable, adorning the petite busts of elegant ladies. To protect the delicate cashmere wool during the long journey to Europe, the precious folds of the fabric were covered with patchouli leaves, the most effective moth-repellent known at the time. Its woody, balsamic aroma, with three main attributes of camphor, woodiness, and earthiness, with additional slightly floral nuances, proved as attractive to buyers as cashmere itself, and so patchouli became a popular material for perfumery.