Patchouli
Pogostemon cablin
The leaves of a herb from the mint family. Earthy, dark and sweetish – a mainstay of chypres and of modern amber fragrances.
The note’s label
- Family
- woody note; among fragrance families, chypre
- Position
- heart to base note
- Impression
- Pairs with
- Evokes
- forest floor · cocoa · cellar · old books
- Raw material
- dried leaves, distilled
- Natural or synthetic
- The natural oil is widely used and affordable. It is often fractionated to make it lighter and less earthy.
Leaves, not wood
Although patchouli smells woody, the oil comes from the leaves. They are dried and left to ferment slightly before distillation, which deepens the scent. The main odorant is patchoulol.
In perfume
Patchouli sits with oakmoss in the classic chypre and is a prominent part of many modern sweet amber fragrances. Calvin Klein’s Euphoria Men (2006) lists it in the base.
On the label
Patchouli oil (Pogostemon Cablin Oil) has been on the allergen list since 2023.
In the fragrance archive
- Kenzo Kenzo pour Homme (1991)
- Calvin Klein Euphoria Men (2006)
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