A WOODY-EARTHY LEAF

Aah… the intoxicating smell of the earth when the first drops of rain fall on it... isn’t it invigorating to breathe in the scent of wet soil in the woods, during the monsoons? Inhaling earthy perfumes with a natural, grounding aroma reminds you of such beautiful memories that we would like to relive again and again. And no one would have imagined that leaves with a musky woody fragrance from a plant in South India would form the base of some of the best long-lasting earthy perfumes loved across the world.

Patchouli perfume (pronounced puh.choo.lee) has a deep Indian connection and is derived from the Tamil words Patchai (meaning green) and Ellai (leaf). Well suited to warm climates, this aromatic plant is found in abundance in South East Asia. Patchouli essential oil has a strong woody-earthy scent and has been used in luxury fragrances for centuries. In addition, Patchouli is also used in scented candles, incense sticks, potpourri, insect repellents, skincare, and aromatherapy. You will be surprised to know that Hippies extensively used Patchouli in the 1960s and 70s. Being naturalists who despised artificiality, they used the strong earthy scent of patchouli oil to mask the smell of marijuana and alcohol.

Patchouli leaves are carefully dried in the shade before a short fermentation process. Thereafter, Patchouli essential oil is extracted through steam distillation, primarily using the top leaves and twigs for the finest quality oil.

Owing to its distinct musky-sweet aroma, Patchouli oil is mainly used as a base note in perfumes. For the uninitiated, a base note is the long-lasting scent that remains after the lighter top and middle notes fade away. Because of its depth, Patchouli is blended with a wide range of other oils to create exotic perfumes for men and women.

You can find Patchouli fragrance notes in these exquisite Hvnly perfumes:

Author: Sandipani Padhi