Home › Glossary › Cypress

Cypress in Perfumery | Première Peau

Q: Is Cypress natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of the branches, leaves, and young cones of Cupressus sempervirens. Distillation runs approximately 4 hours. The resulting oil is a pale yellow to brownish-green liquid. Yield is modest and variable by origin: 0.26% (Algerian material) to 1.0% (Cameroonian), with most Mediterranean sources falling between 0.3–0.6%. Leaf distillation yields higher α-pinene content; wood distillation produces more cedrol. Supercritical CO₂ extraction is sometimes used commercially, completing extraction in roughly 1 hour with yields approximately 34% higher than steam distillation, though the resulting extract has a different olfactory profile — heavier, more resinous, less terpenic..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · fresh · balsamic

Cypress

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · fresh · balsamic
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Cupressus sempervirens
Appearance	brownish green viscous liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Morocco, Spain
Pyramid	Heart

Resinous, vertical, bone-dry. The smell of a Provençal cemetery in August — dark columnar trees baking in white heat, needles releasing a sharp piney transparency undercut by a faint peppery rasp. Leaner than pine, more architectural than juniper, with none of the sweetness of fir balsam.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery
See Also

Scent

Sharp, green-resinous, arid. Opens with a turpentine-bright flash of α-pinene — cleaner than pine oil, more transparent than juniper berry, entirely without the balsamic sweetness of fir or spruce. The body is woody and mineral, closer to pencil shavings than to a forest floor. A peppery-spicy undertone persists from top to base, giving cypress an almost savory quality. The cedrol dry-down adds a thin layer of woody amber, but the overall impression remains austere and skeletal — structural scaffolding, not decoration.

Evolution over time

Immediately

After a few hours

After a few days

Terroir & Maturity

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Cypress oil is steam-distilled from the branches, leaves, and young cones of Cupressus sempervirens — the tall, dark, flame-shaped trees that punctuate Mediterranean landscapes from Tuscany to the Peloponnese. The oil is dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons: α-pinene (40–50%), δ-3-carene (15–25%), with smaller contributions from limonene (3–5%), α-terpinolene (3–5%), and α-terpinyl acetate (5–10%). The sesquiterpenol cedrol (2–4%) provides the only meaningful base-note anchor in an otherwise volatile composition. Morocco and Spain remain the largest producers; French cypress oil, particularly from Provence, commands a premium for its cleaner, less terpenic profile.

Scent Architecture

The opening is sharp and turpentine-bright — raw α-pinene pushing through like rubbing alcohol cut with crushed pine needles. This clears within minutes into a dry, green-woody body where the δ-3-carene asserts itself: less aromatic than pinene, more structural, almost mineral. The cedrol fraction surfaces late, contributing a quiet woody-ambery warmth that extends the oil's life beyond what its volatile terpene skeleton would suggest. There is a persistent peppery-spicy thread throughout, sometimes likened to a coniferous black pepper.

Perfumery Use

Cypress functions as a heart-note structural element, providing lift and vertical architecture. Its dry, austere character suits fougère, chypre, and eaux fraîches where coniferous green is needed without resinous heaviness. It brings Mediterranean aridity to citrus accords and sharpens woody bases. Natural bridges include lavender, bergamot, juniper, clary sage, and oakmoss. Première Peau sources sustainable cypress oil from France for Nuit Élastique, where it provides a dry, vertical counterpoint to the composition's dense jasmine-indole heart.

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The Sarv-e Abarkuh, a Cupressus sempervirens in Yazd Province, Iran, is estimated at 4,000–5,000 years old — the third oldest living tree on Earth after two bristlecone pines in California. Legend attributes its planting to Zoroaster. The species name 'sempervirens' (ever-living) is literal: the tree retains dark foliage year-round, which led ancient Greeks and Romans to plant it in cemeteries — a practice still visible across the Mediterranean.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of the branches, leaves, and young cones of Cupressus sempervirens. Distillation runs approximately 4 hours. The resulting oil is a pale yellow to brownish-green liquid. Yield is modest and variable by origin: 0.26% (Algerian material) to 1.0% (Cameroonian), with most Mediterranean sources falling between 0.3–0.6%. Leaf distillation yields higher α-pinene content; wood distillation produces more cedrol. Supercritical CO₂ extraction is sometimes used commercially, completing extraction in roughly 1 hour with yields approximately 34% higher than steam distillation, though the resulting extract has a different olfactory profile — heavier, more resinous, less terpenic.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex essential oil — principal components: α-pinene (C₁₀H₁₆, 40–50%), δ-3-carene (C₁₀H₁₆, 15–25%), cedrol (C₁₅H₂₆O, 2–4%)
CAS Number	8013-86-3
Botanical Name	Cupressus sempervirens
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Cypress wood, Cypress oil
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	44 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	brownish green viscous liquid
Flash Point	108.00 °F. TCC ( 42.22 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.87000 to 0.89100 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.47100 to 1.48200 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Cypress oil operates as a heart-note modifier and structural element. Its high α-pinene content (40–50%) provides diffusion and lift, while the cedrol fraction (2–4%) contributes modest base-note persistence — roughly 44 hours of substantivity at full concentration. In fougère compositions, it reinforces the aromatic-herbal axis alongside lavender and coumarin. In chypre accords, it contributes dry Mediterranean warmth without heaviness. In colognes and eaux fraîches, it provides coniferous backbone at low dosage. Cypress is a blender and equalizer: it smooths transitions between citrus top notes and woody-ambery bases. The α-terpinyl acetate component (5–10%) provides a subtle bergamot-lavender nuance that aids integration. Natural allies include lavender, juniper, bergamot, clary sage, and oakmoss. No single synthetic replicates cypress oil's full profile. However, α-pinene (synthetic), δ-3-carene, and cedrol isolate can approximate its skeleton. Dihydromyrcenol extends the fresh-woody facet. Iso E Super can amplify the woody-ambery dry-down. Première Peau uses sustainable cypress oil from France in Nuit Élastique (/products/nuit-elastique-jasmine-night-perfume), where it provides arid, vertical structure against the jasmine absolute.

Currency

Language