Cabreuva

Warm, woody-floral, softly balsamic. The nerolidol dominance gives it a character between sandalwood and rose — woody warmth with a distinctly floral aspect. Less creamy than sandalwood, less sharp than rosewood, less sweet than Peru balsam. A quiet, well-mannered wood with rosy undertones.

Cabreúva (Myrocarpus fastigiatus) is a South American hardwood whose essential oil sits at the intersection of woody and floral. The oil is dominated by nerolidol (a sesquiterpene alcohol) and trans-nerolidol, giving it a woody-floral character that is warmer and more balsamic than rosewood but less creamy than sandalwood.

The tree is native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, growing in Atlantic Forest remnants. The wood is prized both for its oil and for its timber (used in flooring and cabinetry). Like many South American aromatic hardwoods, it faces habitat pressure from deforestation.

Nerolidol, the principal component (40-60% of the oil), has a woody, floral, slightly citrus-green character. It also demonstrates insect-repellent and antimicrobial properties. In isolation, nerolidol smells cleaner and less complex than the full cabreúva oil, which contains additional sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids.

In perfumery, cabreúva oil functions as a heart-to-base note providing a soft, balsamic woodiness with floral undertones. It bridges woody and floral families naturally.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.