Cedarwood
Cedrus atlantica · Juniperus virginiana
Dry, pencil-shaving wood. Mind the name: “Virginian cedar” is not botanically a cedar at all.
The note’s label
- Family
- woody note; among fragrance families, woody
- Position
- base note
- Impression
- Pairs with
- Evokes
- pencil shavings · a wardrobe · dry wood
- Raw material
- wood and sawdust, distilled
- Natural or synthetic
- The natural oils are widely used. Alongside them, perfumers use woody-amber materials derived from them or made synthetically (e.g. acetyl cedrene).
Two cedars
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) is a true cedar from the pine family. So-called Virginian cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is in fact a juniper. Both oils are used in perfumery and smell similar – dry, pencil-shaving wood.
In perfume
Cedarwood forms the framework of woody fragrances and heightens the sense of dryness and cleanliness. You often hear it alongside vetiver and lavender and in modern woody-amber fragrances.
On the label
Atlas cedarwood oil was already in Annex III; Regulation 2023/1545 replaced its entry with new wording that requires “Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract” to be listed above 0.001% / 0.01%. Juniperus virginiana oil and the woody synthetic Acetyl Cedrene are new allergens too.
In the fragrance archive
- Kenzo Kenzo pour Homme (1991)
- Azzaro Silver Black (2005)
- Calvin Klein CK One (1994)
The archive is for reading only. Nothing in it is for sale.