Natural Aromatic Materials Archives - Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy

How to Describe the Scent of Ylang

If I asked you to describe the scent of Ylang essential oil, but then I said you couldn’t use the words “floral” or “sweet” … What else would you say?

It can be really difficult to find the right words to describe the way different essential oils smell. This is because smell and language happen in two different areas of the brain.

Luckily, the language of scent can be learned.

This is one reason why we love Tony Burfield’s Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours and Origins. Tony and his team of smell analysts worked with over 600 aromatic extracts, essential oils, CO2s, and absolutes to offer their scent descriptions—including the dry-down after 24 hours.

But we’ll let Sylla teach you more about this reference, with her usual enthusiasm, charm, and depth of knowledge in this field.

For a closer look, here is an excerpt from the Ylang entry that Sylla references in Natural Aromatic Materials. You might already know this, but Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) is unlike other oils in that it is distilled in fractions. A single distillation will produce several different versions of Ylang that all smell different. This is why the oils are labeled as Extra Superior, Extra, First, Second, Third, and Complete.

These entries are all from the same distiller in the Island of Comoros near Madagascar.

Ylang Oil Extra Comoros

Odour is heady, sweet, radiant heavy floral odour with somewhat medicinal character, and with spicy notes of clove in the background. There is a very slight fruitiness (probably from prenyl acetate) and a very slight greenness. The dry-down is round and full-bodied, sweet, warm and with a slightly spicy-carnation-powdery character. The sweetness in some samples almost takes on a honeysuckle aspect.

Ylang I Comoros

Top odour note is similar to II. It is a slightly less heady and more rounded than Extra. Dry-down is very similar to Extra; but not so strong, with hay-like nuances.

Ylang II Comoros

Odour has a little (but not much!) of the heady floral quality of Extra; radiant but not to the extent that the extra shows; not particularly medicinal. It is also without the fruity lift of the extra quality, which is, by comparison, more rounded floral-medicinal. It is not as clean and pure. Dry-down is full-bodied, floral, rounded and glowing, but not to the extent of the Extra’s dry-down. It is also cruder more medicinal and more powdery-carnation as opposed to warm-carnation.

Ylang III Comoros

The top note odour profile has none of the floral radiance of extra with spicy notes more to the fore, and a somewhat woody-hay character is revealed after a few moments. Dry-down is thinner and less powerful than extra with some suggestion of carnation character but rather oily and generally floral.

Ylang Oil Complete Comoros

The overall odour impression by comparison with Ylang II is that it is dirtier in a phenolic sense and has minimal radiance. It has a rich floral character, however, but is interwoven with phenolic and woody notes. Many commercially complete oils are fairly disappointing. Dry-down is sweet floral carnation like with a salicylate-like lift.

Try it Yourself!

Now get out your Ylang and see how these words compare to what you smell! Let us know how your Ylang smells and use these words as inspiration to create your own description.

For bonus points, place a drop on a scent strip (or make one at home with a piece of cardstock or an index card) and make notes on how it smells immediately as well as in different increments later (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, several hours … up to 24-hours.)

Leave a comment with what you find!

We hope to keep inspiring you to learn about your oils from one of the best ways you can – by smelling them! Thank you for letting us share the joy of aromatherapy with you.

Aromatically Yours,

Nyssa

Natural Aromatic Materials, Second Edition

New Review for Natural Aromatic Materials

Would you like more detailed information on the natural aromatics you’re using in your own practice? How about a source you can rely on for accurate, original, and informative aromatic descriptions and content?

If so, the Atlantic Institute has just the book set for you.

Review by The Fragrance Alkemist

Ixchel Leigh, known as “The Fragrance Alkemist,” recently received her copy of Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours and Origins by Tony Burfield. She was kind enough to share her thoughts on the recently updated and revised manual.

“Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours & Origins, Second Edition,” by Tony Burfield, is a treasure trove of information on odours, plant origins, classification of odours, understanding smell, olfaction, taste, profiling odours, chemical constituents, constructing perfumes … (and more)! This is just the beginning (first 140+ pages) of the two-volume encyclopedia.

Next you delve alphabetically into almost a thousand botanicals (and naturals) and their aromatic oils. GREAT for any perfumer at any stage of knowledge.

If you’re also focused on using naturals in your preparations for pleasure, spa, or healing, PLEASE BUY THIS SET OF MANUALS!

I am in Gratitude.”

Not just for perfumers, this set of manuals is a must have for anyone working with natural aromatics. Aromatherapists, aroma-enthusiasts, and even novices alike will appreciate the wealth of knowledge stored in this two-set, revised, and updated edition of Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours and Origins by Tony Burfield.

Get yours today!

Natural Aromatic Materials, Second Edition

175.00

Natural Aromatic Materials: Odors & Origins
Second Edition

By Tony Burfield

The result of more than 50 years of data compilation, this book is a comprehensive account of over 600 essential oils, absolutes, CO2s, and other aromatic extracts from natural sources. Furthermore, it covers the natural aromatic materials presently and formerly in used in perfumery, aromatherapy, and in flavourings.

Buy yours today!

Down to Earth with Vetiver and Angelica

As we slowly move towards spring, we can feel the stirrings of the earth in this time of new root growth. Now is the time for contemplating how to nurture the seeds that are sprouting in our lives. Lately, we are turning to earthy roots of Vetiver and Angelica for inspiration in our growth process.

BELOW: Botanical drawing of an Angelica plant with a Vetiver root basket and scented balls.

Vetiveria zizanioides

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) is a grass that grows in tropical climates. Instead of spreading horizontally underneath the ground as many grasses do, Vetiver roots grow straight downward. We obtain the medical and aromatic properties from this part of the plant, as well as the volatile oil. The roots are dug, dried, then chopped and soaked in water to create the oil, which may take up to 24 hours! For us, it is a superior oil for pulling us back to earth, or maybe as the root growth suggests, helping us dig deeper into the nutritious soil of our lives.

Angelica archangelica

Angelica Root (Angelica archangelica) oil is also grounding but in a different way. The Angelica plant’s most distinguishing feature is its burst of flowers, which grow out of its leaves and create a majestic canopy above the plant. In its first year, it produces only leaves, and its stem can reach six feet high. In the second year, the umbrella-shaped burst of flowers appears in the summer. These flowers yield seeds, which also create an oil.

The scent of Angelica root oil is deep like Vetiver, but it also contains a sweetness that propels us to venture forth on the next expansion of our journey.

Together in equal proportions, they make a light and airy scent, as the tenacious Vetiver holds back the ethereal Angelica. Use it for meditation, wear it in a necklace, or use it in inhalers. Caution as Angelica is phototoxic, so avoid skin use if you’ll be going out in the sun.

As you move onto new projects this year, use these oils to help keep you planted on earth while still reaching towards the sky.

Tidbits from Tony Burfield’s Second Edition Natural Aromatic Materials – Odours and Origins:

Vetiver (java type) – Red-brown to deep brown viscous liquid. Odour is heavy sweet woody earthy reminiscent of roots and wet soil with a rich undertone of precious wood. Long-lasting. Dry-out is woody-earthy and creamy with a slight smoky aspect.

Angelica Root – It is a pale yellow to brown oil, usually darker than the seed oil, with a pungent, heady, fatty, liqueur odour with some fruitiness, and peppery aspect. Dry-out is tobacco, fatty, spicy/cumin-like.