Clean, transparent woody warmth. Patchouli's skeleton without its earthiness or camphor. Dry, slightly ambery, with a mineral quality. Less dirty than natural patchouli, less sweet than sandalwood, less smoky than vetiver. Like polished pale wood in a white-walled room.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Clean woody transparency, faint mineral quality, polished
Clearwood is a patented ingredient created by a Swiss fragrance house through white biotechnology — specifically, the biofermentation of patchouli oil using engineered yeast strains. The process selectively converts patchoulol and other sesquiterpenes into (-)-patchoulol-enriched fractions while eliminating the earthy, camphoraceous, and musty qualities that characterize conventional patchouli.
The result is a woody note that retains patchouli's fundamental structure — warm, persistent, slightly amber-like — but reads as clean and transparent rather than heavy and earthy. It is one of the first commercially successful fragrance ingredients produced via biofermentation, representing a shift in how the industry creates woody materials.
Clearwood's molecular profile is simpler than full patchouli oil: enriched in (-)-patchoulol with reduced norpatchoulenol, pogostol, and other minor sesquiterpenes that contribute patchouli's characteristic mustiness.
In perfumery, Clearwood functions as a base note providing woody persistence without heaviness. It has become widely adopted in clean, minimalist, and unisex fragrances where patchouli's depth is desired but its earthiness is not.
Clearwood was the first major fragrance ingredient produced through industrial biofermentation — a Swiss fragrance house's white biotechnology platform uses the same type of yeast engineering that produces bioethanol, but optimized for sesquiterpene transformation.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Biofermentation of patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin) using engineered yeast strains (white biotechnology). This is not traditional extraction but biotransformation — yeast selectively converts patchouli oil components, enriching (-)-patchoulol while reducing earthy sesquiterpenes. Patented process by a Swiss fragrance house. One of the first fragrance ingredients commercially produced via green chemistry.
Molecular Formula
Key component: (-)-patchoulol C₁₅H₂₆O (produced by fermentation)
CAS Number
8002-09-3 (patchouli-type terpene blend)
Botanical Name
N/A — biotechnological ingredient (a Swiss fragrance house), patchouli-type via fermentation
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
(-)-patchoulenone, Clearwood oil
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
168 hours at 100.00%
Appearance
Pale yellow to dark amber liquid
In Perfumery
Clearwood (a Swiss fragrance house) is a biofermented patchouli derivative functioning as a clean woody base note. Enriched in (-)-patchoulol with reduced earthy-musty components. Provides patchouli-type persistence and warmth without the characteristic dirt, camphor, or mustiness. Widely adopted in clean, minimalist, and unisex compositions. Bridges woody and musky families. Excellent fixative properties — extends the life of lighter top and heart notes. Represents a new category of biotechnology-derived fragrance ingredients.
