GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / earthy · floral · warm
Inula
Category
GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory
earthy · floral · warm
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
Inula helenium
Appearance
deep blue clear liquid
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
China, France, Germany, India, Turkey
Pyramid
Heart
Camphoraceous, herbal, faintly fruity-sweet. Inula (elecampane) smells like a medicinal herb cabinet with a surprise note of ripe banana underneath the camphor.
Camphoraceous, herbal, with an unexpected fruity-sweet undertone. The alantolactone provides medicinal bitterness; the banana ester adds sweetness. Like opening an old apothecary drawer containing dried roots — camphor, herbs, and an inexplicable whiff of ripe fruit. More complex than thyme, less clean than eucalyptus.
Inul a (Inul a helenium, elecampane) is a large perennial herb native to Central Asia and naturalized across Europe. The root is the aromatic part, producing an essential oil dominated by alantolactone and isoalantolactone — sesquiterpene lactones that provide a particular camphoraceous, slightly bitter-herbal character.
What makes inul a unusual is the presence of isoamyl acetate — the banan a ester — among its volatiles. This gives the root oil a faintly fruity-sweet quality underneath the camph or, creating an unexpected duality of medicinal and tropical-sweet.
The plant's name derives from Helen of Troy — legend holds that inula grew where her tears fell. It has been used in European herbal medicine for over 2,000 years, primarily for respiratory conditions. The root was also used to flavor absinthe and vermouth.
In perfumery, inul a absolute provides a particular herbal-camphoraceous note with a fruity edge — useful in compositions seeking complexity beyond standard herbal materials.
The alantolactone in inula root is a potent anthelmintic (anti-parasitic) — it was used to treat intestinal worms in medieval European medicine. Modern research has confirmed its activity against several helminth species in vitro.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation or solvent extraction of dried Inula helenium roots. The oil partially solidifies due to crystallization of alantolactone. CO2 extraction preserves more of the fruity top notes. Root must be dried before distillation. Wild-harvested in Central and Eastern Europe; some cultivation in France.
PROHIBITED — IFRA bans inula helenium oil in fragrances due to severe dermal sensitization risk (alantolactone content)
Synonyms
elecampane, horse-heal
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Appearance
deep blue clear liquid
Boiling Point
200.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
In Perfumery
Inul a (elecampane) provides a camphoraceous-herbal heart note with a unique fruity (banan a ester) quality. Functions in herbal, medicinal, and complex aromatic compositions. The alantolactone/isoalantolactone chemistry gives it a bitter, camph or-like foundati on. The isoamyl acetate trace adds unexpected sweetness. Used sparingly — powerful and particular. Pairs with other herbal materials (wormwood, sage) in bitter-aromatic compositions. IFRA may restrict usage due to sesquiterpene lactone sensitizati on potential.
