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Loam

Q: Is Loam natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Not a naturally extracted material. The note is a perfumery reconstruction or fantasy accord..

NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD / earthy · rich · woody

Loam

Category	NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	earthy · rich · woody
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — olfactory accord (earth note)
Appearance	N/A — fragrance accord, not a single raw material
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	N/A — olfactory accord
Pyramid	Base

Wet clay, decomposing leaves, mycorrhizal networks doing their silent work. The smell of productive soil.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

The olfactory character of loam is specific and recognizable. Wet clay, decomposing leaves, mycorrhizal networks doing their silent work. The scent is more about atmosphere and association than about individual molecules.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Wet clay, decomposing leaves, mycorrhizal networks doing their silent work

After a few hours

Developing warmth and complexity

After a few days

Subtle residual trace

The Full Story

Loam is the rich, fertile soil composed of roughly equal parts sand, silt, and clay, mixed with organic matter. Its scent -- deep, earthy, slightly sweet, and alive -- comes from geosmin (produced by Streptomyces bacteria), decomposing organic matter, and the metabolic exhaust of soil microbiota. In perfumery, the loam note is atmospheric, evoking garden beds, forest floors, and the fundamental smell of productive earth. Built from geosmin, earthy-patchouli materials, and damp-earth accords.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Loam represents the growing trend in contemporary use toward reconstructing everyday sensory experiences as fragrance notes.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Not a naturally extracted material. The note is a perfumery reconstruction or fantasy accord.

Molecular Formula	Key odorant: geosmin (C₁₂H₂₂O, CAS 19700-21-1)
CAS Number	N/A — olfactory accord (earthy note)
Botanical Name	N/A — olfactory accord (earth note)
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	earthy note, soil note
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	N/A — fragrance accord, not a single raw material

In Perfumery

Loam functions as a fantasy or concept note in modern fragrance. Not derived from a single natural source; the impression is reconstructed from multiple materials to capture the essence of the original.